I'll Stand By You
by NALEYAAF23
Summary: Lucas is a single father while Brooke is separated from her husband. Their similar experiences bring them together. As the months pass, their friendship slowly blossoms into romance. Will they be able to push past the hurt to love again? Or will their past relationships stop them from being together?
1. All Work, No Play

**A/N**: After realizing that ISBY wasn't becoming a story I first enjoyed writing, I felt that I had to start over. I made several changes that I feel will work better for the story. Hope you love the changes as much as I do. Please read and review. And I like to thank my awesome beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own my characters

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**All Work, No Play**

Lucas Scott was extremely busy attending to his customers when he saw that Haley had entered the café. He sighed in relief to see that he finally had some help, but he could tell that she wasn't happy to see him. He couldn't blame her since this wasn't the first time that he had asked her to do this favor for him. He waited patiently to see if she would acknowledge him.

She didn't until she was behind the counter. She then looked at him angrily as she spoke. "Lucas, you know I love you and I love the café, but I can't keep doing this. I have other things to do besides take care of the café all the time."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "I know. You have your students."

"I don't understand why you don't just hire another waitress while your mom is out of town," Haley said with a sigh. "You know she wouldn't mind if you do. And I'm sure that there are plenty of people looking for work."

"I don't want to just hire _anybody_. After all, it's the family café," Lucas replied seriously as he frowned slightly. "And how do we know that this person won't try to steal our secret recipes and give them to a rival café or something?"

Haley tried not to laugh. "Luke, it's more than obvious that you need more help with the café and I can't give it to you." Lucas didn't answer. "Look, if you are really worried about hiring another person, I'll help you out with it."

Lucas had to think for a moment. He realized that Haley was right. And he knew that he couldn't keep relying on her to help him out. He then let out a sigh before nodding. "Alright, but I have the final say in who we hire."

Haley agreed. "It's a deal." She then changed the subject. "So do you want me to pick up Maddie when I get Jamie from preschool this afternoon?"

Lucas nodded gratefully. "And do you think you can drop her off at her dance class and pick her up?" he asked her hopefully. "I think I'll be here until closing time."

"You wouldn't have to if you had another person to watch the café," Haley teased him before she went to attend to the customers.

Lucas just shook his head in annoyance as he watched her go. She knew that he was serious about the café. He was in charge of it while his mother was out of town. He didn't want anybody to ruin it. Yet, he knew that she was right about him needing help.

He soon got distracted as more customers came in. As usual, he didn't have a chance to take a breath until lunch. He started to clean up the last table when he heard the entrance open. "Excuse me, are you Lucas Scott?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

Lucas looked up and turned to see a young woman standing there. "Yes, may I help you?" he asked her.

"I'm here to apply for the waitress's position," the young woman replied. Lucas gave her a confused look. She got a hesitant look on her face as she asked, "It's still open, right?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes, but I don't understand. We haven't even put an ad out in the paper yet. How did you find out about it so soon?" he asked her curious. He then answered his own question as he turned to Haley, who was across the room. She had a guilty look on her face as Lucas gave her a look. "Would you excuse me for one second?" he asked the newcomer. He didn't wait for a response. Instead, he walked over to Haley and grabbed her arm. He gently pulled her into the backroom and looked at her. "You planned this, didn't you?"

Haley gave him a look. "Well, I had to do something. And I thought I could help out a friend who needs a job."

"I know all of your friends. How come I never met her before?" Lucas asked her with a confused frown.

"Because she just moved here a week or so ago," Haley replied. Lucas wasn't convinced. She continued to try and persuade him. "Look, all you have to do is give her a trial run and see how she works out. I know she won't disappoint." Lucas let out another sigh. "Want me to do the interview?"

"No, I'm the boss while my mom's gone. I'll do it," Lucas replied as he started to head back out when he stopped. He turned back to Haley and looked her into the eye as he asked, "You trust her, right?" Haley nodded. He then walked out of the backroom and back over to the young brunette woman. He gestured for her to take a seat at the counter. She smiled as she took a seat and he went behind the counter. He smiled politely in response as he said, "Now I didn't quite catch your name before. What is your name?"

"I'm Brooke Davis-Baker," she replied before she quickly corrected herself. "Actually, it's just Davis."

Lucas looked at her sympathetically and softly said, "I'm sorry."

Brooke looked at him before realizing what he meant. "No, I'm not a widow. I'm just separated from my husband."

Lucas nodded understandingly as he asked, "And you can't wait until that whole one-year separation policy is over with, right?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, but the problem is that we just started the separation. So I have awhile to go before I can file for divorce."

"Maybe you two will work out things by then," Lucas suggested. He didn't want to butt in her business, but he didn't want to see any couple separated or divorced. He knew too well how it felt to be alone.

"No offense, but I don't think so," Brooke said as she tried to think of an example. "I mean how would you feel if your wife cheated on you with her boss?"

Lucas nodded understandingly. "I know how you feel." He then quickly changed the subject. "So do you have a resume for me?" he asked her.

Brooke nodded as she turned to look in her bag. "I also have an application filled out," she told him as she pulled out two pieces of paper. She handed them over to Lucas and he then started to look them over.

Lucas didn't speak for a few moments as he read. "Well, I'm going to have to call your references and see what they have to say. But if everything works out, you'll be back to get started on your trial run."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Scott."

"You're welcome, Ms. Davis," Lucas replied as he smiled in return. "Since you aren't working quite yet, can I get you anything for lunch?"

"You don't have to do that. It's your lunch hour," Brooke told him. "And I actually already have lunch plans. I just came by to give you my application and resume. Haley said this was the best time to drop by."

Lucas nodded. "Alright. Well, I'll call you later to tell you if you have the position or not." They then exchanged good-byes before she left the café. He watched her climb in her car before she drove off.

"What are you doing?" Haley asked him curiously.

"I was just making sure that you didn't send anybody else," Lucas replied as he gave her a look.

"Actually, Brooke was my first and only choice," Haley said in response.

"I'm surprised she decided to pick this place when she could have picked somewhere that could have her as an intern or something," Lucas told her as he showed her the impressive resume. "Why here?"

"Maybe she wasn't aiming for a big career anymore," Haley suggested. "Maybe she wanted a job where she could work and be a mom too."

Lucas looked at her curious. "She's a mom?"

"Personally, it's none of my business. But she told me that she's pregnant with her estranged husband's child," Haley told him. Lucas was stunned. She knew what he was thinking. "Yeah, I had the same reaction."

Lucas didn't have a chance to respond as they heard Haley's cell-phone ringing. He laughed as he said, "It's ironic how Nathan calls during his lunch hour when he doesn't allow his students call or text during gym class. Or even after school at basketball practice."

"Whatever Luke," Haley replied before putting her phone to her ear. Lucas left her alone for some privacy and headed to the kitchen to make lunch for the two of them.

Hours later, it was finally closing time. Lucas was exhausted, but happy that the day was finally over. The café had been busy from the time lunch hour was over to just before closing time. He started to think that Haley was right. He really needed help with the café. He couldn't do it with the amount of staff members he had now. The café was a popular place to dine and it was hard to keep up with the orders.

He started to think about Ms. Davis and her situation. It wasn't too different from his own. He wanted to help her as much as he could. He just hoped that she wanted his help. He knew all about keeping his pride and not wanting to ask for help to take care of the child. However, he knew that he could use that to his advantage.

It wasn't long before he arrived in front of his house. He pulled up in the driveway before turning off the car. As he got out of the car, he could hear someone happily calling his name. He gave a wide smile as his daughter ran across the street and over to him. He could see that she had another drawing with her. He held out his arms and she ran into them. He hugged her tightly as Haley and Jamie came over. He then pulled her away. "Did you have fun in preschool today?" he asked her.

Maddie nodded as she opened the piece of paper and showed it to him. "I drew you a picture, Daddy," she replied proudly. The drawing consisted of two young children with yellow hair that clearly was supposed to representing blonde hair playing in the grass. "See, there's me and Jamie."

Lucas smiled fondly as he looked at her artwork. "That's great, Maddie. We'll have to put it on the fridge next to your other pictures." He didn't have a chance to say anything as the two Scott children ran into the house to put it on the fridge. He and Haley laughed as they watched them leave.

Before he could even speak, Haley spoke first. "Don't worry. I'm not going to bug you about the café anymore, at least for today," she told him with a smile. Lucas let out a little laugh. "I just came over to make sure Maddie got back to you safely."

"Thanks for watching her, Hales," Lucas said gratefully. He wondered what he would do without Haley's help.

Haley smiled. "It was no problem. You know I love having her over. And it helps that she and Jamie are best friends." Lucas nodded in agreement as the two children came back out. "Hey, are you ready to go?" she asked Jamie.

Jamie nodded and Haley held out her hand. Her son grabbed it eagerly. "Bye Maddie. Bye Uncle Lucas," he said as he and Haley headed back across the street to their house. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Lucas called before they headed back inside their own house. Lucas then shut the door. "I'd hate to say it, but it's almost bedtime for you," he told his daughter. He was met with a moan. "I know, but you need your beauty rest. And Daddy's tired himself."

"You're always tired," Maddie said with a small sigh.

"I know. But Daddy's been working very hard to make sure that Grandma's café is ok while she's gone," Lucas replied gently. "It won't be for much longer. I promise. I'm going to find someone to help out more so I can spend more time with you."

"How long?" Maddie asked.

"Hopefully, it won't be for much longer," Lucas replied. He then quickly changed the subject. "But for now, it's time to get ready for bed. So why don't you go upstairs and brush your teeth? I'll be upstairs in a few minutes to tuck you in."

Maddie nodded and hurried upstairs. Lucas let out a tired sigh as he headed to the kitchen. He went to the fridge and opened it. He pulled out the water pitcher and set it down on the counter. He then opened the cupboard and pulled out a small glass. He was about to pour the water in the glass when the phone rang. He walked over to the kitchen phone across the room and answered it. "Hello?" he asked in a weary tone.

_"Hey, it's your mom. I thought you would be home by now. How are you? How's Maddie? How's the café?"_ she asked in a rush.

"We are both fine. We miss you. And as for the café, business has never been better," Lucas replied as he poured some water into the glass.

_"Is it too much work for you? Because I don't mind if you hire another person to help you out,"_ Karen said. Lucas was about to reply when his mother continued. _"And yes, Haley told me about the situation."_

"There is no situation," Lucas protested with a sigh. "But I am going to take Haley's advice and hire an extra person."

_"That's good. Do you have anybody in mind?"_ she asked.

"Well, Haley recommended a friend of hers, Brooke Davis. She's new in town and is looking for a job," Lucas replied, keeping quiet about the pregnancy. "I only met her for a few moments, but she seems nice." Just then, he heard Maddie calling him. "Mom, I got to go. Maddie wants me."

_"I better let you go then. Give her a hug and kiss for me,"_ Karen told her son.

"I will," Lucas promised before they exchanged good-byes. He then hung up the phone and put it back on the receiver. He then put the water pitcher back in the fridge before heading upstairs with the glass.

He went down the hallway to his daughter's bedroom. Maddie was sitting propped up in bed with a book in her hand. They exchanged smiles as he walked over to her. He put the glass down on her nightstand before helping her snuggle under the covers with her favorite doll named Lucy. "Good night, my little princess. I love you," he said as he gave her a kiss and took the book from her.

She smiled as he used her special nickname. "I love you too, Daddy."

He then plugged in the night light in a corner of the room before turning out the lamp on the nightstand. He kissed his daughter again before putting the book on her bookshelf. He watched the nightlight bright up the room as he headed out of her bedroom. He quietly shut the door before letting out another tired sigh. He headed to his own bedroom as he made a mental note to call Ms. Davis's references first thing in the morning.


	2. Trouble on the Horizon

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews! And thanks to my awesome beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie Scott

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**Trouble on the Horizon**

The next morning, Lucas woke up abruptly to the sound of the alarm blaring out. He groaned sleepily as he reached out his hand to turn it off. After a few seconds of fumbling, trying to find the right button, he finally heard the alarm stop it's irritating noise. He then stretched out his arms and legs as he let out a yawn. Normally, he would be thrilled that it was Friday. However, he still had to work tomorrow and possibly train Ms. Davis.

He pushed back the covers, climbed out of bed and sleepily staggered towards his bathroom. He quickly took a shower and dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast for himself and Maddie. Usually, Maddie would have cereal, but Lucas wanted to make her something special today. And he knew exactly what meal would make her happy.

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of a small pair of footsteps coming down the stairs. He then heard squeals of delight as Maddie walked into the kitchen, still in her nightgown. "You're making French Toast?" she exclaimed happily.

Lucas nodded as Maddie quickly grabbed a seat at the table. He finished up with making their breakfast before he grabbed some plates from the cupboard. "Do you want some milk or apple juice?" he asked her as he put some of the toast on a plate. He then put a couple of other pieces on the second plate.

"Milk please," Maddie replied.

After getting Maddie settled with her breakfast, he prepared his own before joining her at the table. He started eating his breakfast when Maddie spoke. "Daddy, when does Grandma come back? I miss her," Maddie told him softly.

Lucas gave her a smile as he replied, "I know. I miss her too. But she will be back next week. I promise." Maddie let out a sigh in response. Lucas knew that she was still unhappy. So he tried to think of something to cheer her up. "Why don't we make it a movie night tonight? We can settle down and watch movies all night? I'll make homemade popcorn and I'll even buy us a couple of sodas on my way home from work. How does that sound?"

Maddie immediately perked up. She wasn't allowed to drink soda very often. And she loved it when they had movie nights. They didn't do them very often since Lucas always seemed tired from working. So it was really a special treat for Maddie to have a chance to spend time with him. "Can I pick out the movies now?" she asked eagerly.

Lucas laughed. "Why don't you finish eating your breakfast first?" he asked her.

It wasn't long before Maddie was at the movie cabinet in the family room and glancing through the movies that they had. Lucas had made sure that the family movies were away from the more grown-up movies. He knew she was way too young for anything other than children's movies. After all, she was only four.

As Lucas finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes, he looked at the time again. "Maddie, did you pick out a movie yet?" he called.

"Yes," she called back as she ran back into the kitchen.

She showed him the movie she picked out and he nodded his approval. "Ok, now why don't you head upstairs and get dressed? We have to get you to preschool before I head to the café," Lucas told her. Maddie made a face, but obeyed her father.

Lucas quickly wiped the table down before grabbing his phone from the charger. He then made sure he had his wallet and car keys and was relieved to see that he did. He then checked on Maddie to see if she was ready.

Lucas saw that Maddie was taking her good old time in getting ready. He smiled in amusement as he finally realized what she was doing. "Maddie, you want to stay home from school today, don't you?" he asked her softly.

Maddie nodded. "Yeah," she admitted.

Lucas sighed. Apparently, movie night wasn't enough for her. "I suppose you can stay home from preschool for one day."

Maddie smiled at him before leaping in his arms and hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she squealed happily.

Lucas laughed. "You're welcome," he replied as he gave her a kiss. "Now Daddy has to make a few phone calls. Then we'll go to the café, ok?" Maddie nodded and he knew that he could trust her to play by herself for a few moments.

A short while later, Lucas and Maddie arrived at the café. Maddie started to help him get the place prepared including turning the sign around at the door. It wasn't long before the customers started to fill up the place. Maddie then helped bring the customers their orders. Everyone thought she was so sweet and helpful to do that. She also went on the small little stage and sang for the customers.

Lucas was cooking at the stove when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He jumped as he saw Haley standing there. "Don't sneak up on a guy like that," he said annoyed. "Especially when a guy has hot food near him. The last thing I want to do is burn myself."

Haley laughed. "I'm sorry. I just came by to see if you would let me tell Brooke the good news about her job. I think a phone call would be too impersonal."

Lucas looked at her with a slight frown. "How do you know she got the job when I haven't even called her yet?"

Before Haley could answer, they heard a small voice. "Hi Aunt Haley," Maddie said happily.

Haley looked at her niece as she tried not to act surprised. "Hey Maddie. What are you doing here? I thought you would have been at preschool."

"Daddy told me that I could stay with him today," Maddie replied with a smile.

Haley raised her eyebrows as she turned to Lucas. "Really?"

Lucas gave her a sheepish grin. "Why don't you go play, Maddie? Aunt Haley and I need to talk."

"Ok Daddy," Maddie replied before disappearing into the other room.

Haley gave Lucas a sympathetic look. "Wow, Maddie must really miss you if you felt the need to have her play hooky today."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I'll miss that when she enters first grade." He then knew that Haley wanted to get back to the subject of Brooke. "And this is why I'm going to hire Ms. Davis." He couldn't help but laugh as Haley gave him a wide smile. "I'm going to swallow my pride and have her help out with the café so I can spend more time with my daughter."

"Thanks Luke," Haley replied gratefully as she smiled. "It really means a lot to me. And I know Brooke will appreciate it too." She started to leave when she turned back to him. "I'm going to go and tell her. That way, you don't have to rely on child labor for help."

"Remember that it is just a trial run. Nothing is guaranteed yet," Lucas reminded her as he shook his head at her teasing.

"It will be," Haley told him confidently before she left the café.

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><p>Haley knocked on the front door and she heard Brooke yell permission for her to come in. She walked in and was surprised to see how many unpacked boxes that were lying around. She frowned as she went through the foyer, calling her friend's name. "Brooke, where are you?"<p>

"I'm in the kitchen," Brooke called back.

Haley did her best to make a path so she could get to the kitchen. It seemed like forever before she was able to reach her destination, where Brooke was eating a bag of chips. Haley gave her a smile as she noticed that the kitchen was just as chaotic as the living room. However, she managed not to ask her new friend about the mess until after they exchanged greetings with each other. "What's with all the boxes? I thought you would have unpacked by now."

Brooke was silent for a few moments as she decided how to word what she was going to say. Haley knew that there was something bothering her. "I've actually been thinking about moving back to New York." Haley was surprised. She knew that Brooke had grown up in New York. But she didn't think she would move back there because of the issues with her parents. "My girlfriend Rachel is looking for a roommate and I told her that I might be interested," she told her. "And I would rather run into my so-called parents than my estranged husband right now."

Haley frowned. "I thought he lived in Charlotte?" she asked her confused. She thought she remembered Brooke telling her that she used to live in Charlotte before she moved to Tree Hill. "What makes you think he will come here?"

Brooke nodded as she said, "He does, but his whore of a girlfriend used to live here. So who knows if she ever will want to stop by and visit? And I really don't think Mr. Scott would want to lose your customers at the café."

Haley laughed softly. "So you think you got the job then?" she asked her. She wanted to burst out the good news, but she decided to wait.

Brooke shrugged. "I don't know. Your brother-in-law seems nice. But I don't know if I should work there considering my condition."

Haley knew that she was talking about her pregnancy. "It's only temporary until my mother-in-law comes back from her trip," she told her. "And we'll just kick the whore's ass out if she does decide to show up. What's her name anyway? I want to remember it if she ever stops by the café."

"Her name's Peyton Sawyer," Brooke replied as she pulled a face. She didn't even notice the shocked look on Haley's face as she continued. "And she's kind of hard to miss with that snobby attitude of hers."

Haley couldn't believe what she had just heard. "I have to go," she said suddenly. She hurried towards the front door and Brooke followed her feeling confused about the sudden change in Haley's demeanor. "The job is yours if you want it. And don't worry about Peyton. She's not welcome here," she promised her before she left the apartment.

She waited until she was in her car before pulling out her cell-phone. She dialed her office's number and waited until her secretary Renee answered the phone. "Could you cancel the rest of my lessons for today? I hate to disappoint my students, but something has come up."

_"Of course,"_ Renee replied. _"Is there anything else I can do for you?"_

Haley had to think for a moment. "Yes, call Lucas and tell him that I need him to pick up Jamie for me from preschool this afternoon," she told her. She knew that she wouldn't be back in time to pick him up. And she knew that Lucas wouldn't mind picking him up since she had just picked up Maddie for him yesterday.

_"Alright, I will get on it right away," _Renee promised.

"Thanks, Renee," Haley said gratefully before she said good-bye. She then hung up the phone and threw it onto the passenger seat. She pulled away from the curb and quickly headed down the street. She hated leaving Brooke the way that she did, but she knew that she needed to talk to somebody about this. She knew she couldn't tell Lucas because he would flip out on her. She decided to head to the high school to talk to her husband.

When she arrived at the school, she was told that Nathan was in his office. So she headed to the gym. A few minutes later, she reached her destination. She watched and smiled as Nathan talked to himself about basketball strategies. She knocked on the open door and he jumped, before he looked at her. "Haley, you scared me."

Haley laughed. "I seem to have that effect on the Scott men today. Am I interrupting anything?"

Nathan shook his head. "No, I always have time for my beautiful wife. What's up?" he asked her as he gave her a wide smile.

"Well, I just came from my friend Brooke's apartment," Haley replied. She then paused for a moment as she tried to think of the right words to say. "And I found out something shocking about Julian Baker's mistress."

Nathan gave her a confused look. "What? He got both of them pregnant?" he asked her with a laugh.

"God, I hope not," she muttered before she turned back to her husband. She tried to think of something that would be a good hint. "No, but she is going to complicate our family's lives if she comes back to Tree Hill."

Nathan was still lost. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked her in a confused tone. He hated when his wife was being vague about an answer.

Haley decided to just go right out and say it. "You know about that bitch that Julian cheated on Brooke with?" she asked him. Nathan nodded. "She happens to be the same bitch that left Lucas and Maddie four years ago." Nathan could only stare at her open mouthed as her words registered.


	3. Daddy's Little Girl

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie Scott

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**Daddy's Little Girl**

Brooke opened the door and walked into the café. She wasn't surprised to see that there weren't many customers around. She had returned the same time that she had arrived the day before. She looked around for Mr. Scott as she walked up to the counter. She was disappointed to see that he wasn't there. A man behind the counter noticed her and walked over to her. "Can I help you?" the man asked in a friendly tone.

Brooke nodded. "Yes, I would like to speak with Mr. Scott," she replied. "Is he here?" she asked him.

"No, he's not. But he should be back soon. Why don't you have a seat and I'll tell you when he comes back in?" the man suggested as he smiled politely. Brooke smiled gratefully in return and took a seat at the counter. "Can I get you anything to eat?" he offered.

Before Brooke could answer, a small voice spoke out. "I think you should get a hamburger and a cup of coffee." She turned to see a little girl sitting next to her. She was surprised that she didn't notice her before. Now that she had, she noticed that the child had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. The same blue eyes like Mr. Scott had.

Brooke smiled warmly at the little girl. "That actually does sound good," she said as she turned back to the waiter. "I'll take that recommendation. But instead of a coffee, I'll just have a glass of water."

"I'll have the same only, make mine a chocolate milkshake, Jake," the little girl told Jake.

Jake laughed as he gave her a smile. "You got it, Maddie." He then disappeared into the kitchen.

Brooke turned back to Maddie. "So your name is Maddie?" she asked her.

Maddie nodded proudly. "My full name is Madelyn Elizabeth Scott," she replied. "What's yours?"

Brooke gave her a smile. "I'm Brooke Penelope Davis. Pleased to meet you." She then pretended to think for a moment. "So your last name is Scott? I guess that means that this is your grandma's café?"

Maddie smiled widely in response. "Yeah, she's out of town. So Daddy's taking care of it for her until she gets back."

"That's nice of him," Brooke replied. She then knew that Maddie was Mr. Scott's daughter. "I bet your grandma appreciates that."

Maddie nodded. She had a sad tone to her voice as she said, "Yeah, but I miss him. That's why he's getting some help with the café," she told her.

Before Brooke could answer, Jake arrived with their meals. "Here you go. Let me know if you want anything else."

"Thank you, Jake," Maddie replied as she took a bite of her hamburger.

Jake gave her a smile. "You're welcome, Maddie."

"So what do you want to talk to my daddy for?" Maddie asked her as she took a sip of her chocolate milkshake.

"Well, I'm the help that your daddy has been asking for," Brooke replied with another smile.

Maddie gave her an incredibly wide smile as she heard the front entrance open. She turned to see who it was. She jumped off the stool and ran over to Lucas. She hugged him tightly as she spoke. "Daddy, Brooke's going to help you with grandma's café," she told him excitedly.

Lucas was about to reply when he realized what she said. He looked up and saw Brooke getting up from her seat. "I see. Why don't you go finish your lunch while I talk to Ms. Davis?" he asked his daughter as Brooke headed over to them. Maddie nodded and walked back to the counter. Lucas looked at Brooke as he said, "I see you've met my daughter Maddie."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah and I can see why you want to hire some help. She's adorable. And I would be happy to help you with the café so that you can spend more time with your daughter." There was a short pause as she suddenly became serious. "But I want to ask you something first and I want you to be honest with me. You aren't hiring me just because you feel sorry for me, right? Because I don't need your pity, Mr. Scott. I have plenty of that already from everyone else. I don't need it from you too."

Lucas stopped her right there. "Ok, I admit that I did feel sorry for you at first. But that's not the real reason that I'm hiring you. I want to hire you because you are the right person for the job. Your resume is perfect and all of your former employers told me great things about you. You're kind and courteous. You're punctual." There was a short pause. "And you like kids. That's definitely a plus for me."

Brooke couldn't help but smile. "Well, Maddie is easy to like."

Lucas smiled in return as he looked at his daughter proudly. "Yeah, she has that effect on people." He then changed the subject. "So do you still want the job?" he asked her. Brooke didn't have a chance to answer as he continued. "If you are still unsure about the job, remember that it is only temporary. My mom comes back next Thursday. So you'll have to stay until then."

Brooke nodded understandingly. She was then quiet as she thought for a moment. "Well, I guess I will help out until Mrs. Scott comes back. Do you want me to start now?"

Lucas laughed. "You should wait until after we're done with our lunch hour. Are you really that anxious to get started?"

Brooke shook her head. "Are you kidding? I'm starving. I don't think the hamburger is going to fill me up." She then turned to Jake, who was still behind the counter. He had been quietly listening to the conversation between the three of them. "Do you have anything chocolate?" she asked him as she sat back down again. "I feel a pregnancy craving coming on."

"Does that mean you're going to have a baby?" Maddie asked excitedly as she looked at Brooke with wide eyes.

Brooke gave her a smile in response as she answered, "Yes it does."

"Congratulations," Jake told her.

"Thanks," Brooke said softly.

Lucas knew that this was the best time to change the subject before Maddie started asking too many questions. "I'll see if I can find something sweet for you to eat," Lucas told Brooke before he disappeared in the kitchen.

After their lunch hour was over with, Brooke immediately went to work. Maddie eagerly volunteered to help her and Brooke graciously accepted. Lucas and Jake then watched as the two worked together attending to the customers.

"I'm sorry for letting Maddie talk to Ms. Davis. I know she's not supposed to talk to strangers. But I figured it would be ok since I was nearby," Jake told Lucas as they cooked the meals for the orders.

Lucas nodded understandingly. "It's fine." He then looked at Jake. "So what did they talk about?" he asked curious.

Jake gave him a smile. "Well, I know what her middle name is. And I don't think it's any better than yours."

Lucas wasn't convinced. He frowned as he said, "Come on. Any name is better than Eugene."

Jake just laughed as he looked at his friend. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

"Well, Maddie really likes her. I want to make sure that Ms. Davis is someone I can trust with my kid," Lucas told him.

Jake nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Believe me I know. After all, I'm going through it too with Jenny."

"At least those two have each other. I don't know what Maddie would do if she didn't have Jenny especially since Jamie hangs out with Chuck and Andre at school," Lucas replied with a slight smile. "Speaking of Jamie, I have to pick him up from preschool today."

"Really? Is everything ok with Haley?" Jake asked him.

"I think so. She probably wants me to do it because she picked Maddie up for me yesterday," Lucas replied. Jake had to agree. He then looked at his friend. "Do you think I have depended on Haley too much lately?"

"I really don't want to get in the middle," Jake replied before he hesitated. Lucas waited for more. Jake let out a sigh. "But I did agree with Haley. I thought you were taking on too much and needed help with the café."

Lucas made a face. "That's what I thought. Well, it won't matter much anymore since I'm hiring Ms. Davis," he replied as he turned back to Brooke and Maddie. "And it looks like I made the right choice."

Time passed quickly and it was soon time to go and pick up Jamie at the school. Maddie didn't want to go for once. Lucas was surprised until he realized that she wanted to stay with her new friend. He thought it was sweet, but he knew that he couldn't leave her with Ms. Davis. He had just met her and didn't know her well enough. And even though she and Maddie had bonded quickly, it didn't mean anything. Maddie always could make friends easily.

"And here I thought you wanted to spend the day with your dad," Lucas reminded his daughter.

Brooke knew that Lucas needed help. "Thank you so much for helping me today Maddie. You did such a great job with showing me how to do things around here." Maddie smiled proudly at Brooke's words. "And I know you want to stay, but I think I'm ready to do it on my own. After all, I was taught by the best, right?"

Maddie nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Lucas didn't say anything as Brooke and Maddie exchanged good-byes. He then waited until Maddie was at the door before speaking. He looked at Brooke in amazement. "Wow, that was impressive. You must come from a big family if you know exactly what to say."

Brooke shook her head in response. "Actually, I'm an only child."

Lucas wanted to ask her more questions, but he knew that he had to get going. He turned to Jake and said, "You're in charge for the rest of the day." Jake nodded in acknowledgement as Lucas turned back to Brooke. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Ms. Davis."

"Please call me Brooke," Brooke told him.

Lucas gave her a smile in response. "Bye Brooke," he replied as he walked over and took Maddie's hand. He waited as she waved good-bye to Brooke before they left the café.

Brooke then went back to work under Jake's supervision. However, he let her do most of the work. As Brooke took orders from another customer, she saw that a table had to be cleared off. She walked over and started cleaning up the dirty dishes. She then heard another customer coming in. "I'll be right with you," she called, not looking up from her work.

"I never thought I would see Brooke Davis working here," said a familiar voice. One she didn't particularly want to hear. "Isn't this place a little beneath you?"

Brooke looked up and saw Peyton standing there with a smug look on her face. She glared at her for a moment before she continued to clean up. "From what I hear, you're not supposed to be here either. I don't know what you did to the Scott family, but I want to respect their wishes. So I suggest you leave."

"Sorry, but I have to talk to them. Do you know where I can find Lucas or Haley?" Peyton asked her.

"You got one of us," said another familiar voice. Brooke and Peyton turned to see Haley coming in from the backroom. "Brooke, why don't you take a break? I'll take over for awhile," she told Brooke. Brooke nodded as she took the hint and headed in the direction that Haley had just come from. Haley waited until she left the room before speaking again. She glared angrily at Peyton. "I can't believe you, Peyton! First, you decided to screw Lucas and now you're picking on Brooke! You know, I've spent all day trying to decide whether I should tell Lucas or not. And I finally realized that I don't want to see him get hurt again! And that's exactly what's going to happen if you stay in Tree Hill! So do yourself a favor and get the hell out!"

Peyton glared back at her. "First of all, my business with Brooke Davis is none of your business." Haley scoffed at her in response. "And second, he screwed me over first."

Haley gave her an angry look. "What the hell are you talking about? Lucas never cheated on you." She then stopped herself from continuing. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you. I can see that you haven't changed a bit! You still blame everyone, but yourself! And you won't ever admit it, will you?" she exclaimed.

"You're overreacting," Peyton replied. Haley didn't have a chance to reply as Peyton continued. "You know what? I'll go. The service sucks here anyway."

Haley just watched her as she walked out of the café. She then heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and was relieved to see that it was Jake, not Brooke. She really didn't want Brooke to find out how she knew Peyton. "I never thought I would see Peyton around here again," Jake said as he frowned. "I wonder why she came back."

Haley bit her lip as she thought for a moment. She finally spoke. "I don't know. All I know that whatever the reason is, it's not good," she replied. Jake sadly had to agree.


	4. One Step at a Time

**A/N**: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own my characters

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**One Step at a Time**

Brooke was washing her hands in the sink when she heard the doorbell ring. She frowned, wondering who it was. She hoped that it wasn't Julian coming to complain about how she had treated Peyton at the café earlier. She didn't feel like getting an argument with him after a long day at work.

She opened the door and was shocked to see her mother Victoria Davis standing there. She just gaped at her as she walked past her and into the foyer. Brooke was finally then able to find her voice. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded as she shut the door.

"Is that any way to speak to your mother?" Victoria asked in a cold tone.

Brooke gave her a look. "My mother? You expect me to call you my mother after you pushed me so hard that I rebelled? After you refused to speak to me, disowned and disinherited me when you found out about Julian and I eloping? And now you come waltzing in here after nearly six years and expect everything to be normal between us? What planet are you from?"

"See, this is the kind of attitude that I wouldn't have to hear if you would have been raised the way I wanted you to," Victoria replied. Brooke scoffed at her. "But it's too late for you. However, it's a different story for my grandchild."

Brooke looked at her angrily. "What do you mean by that?" She then realized what she just said. "Wait a minute, who told you? I haven't even told Julian about the baby yet. And how the hell did you find me anyway?"

"Rachel called me and told me about what happened with Julian including your pregnancy," Victoria told her. "For some reason, she thought that I could help you more than she could."

"I don't see how," Brooke snapped.

Victoria looked around the apartment with disapproval written on her face. "Do you really want your child to be raised in a tiny apartment like this? I suppose you would enroll my grandchild in a public school. The child would do better in a private school. And what about your pathetic excuse of a salary? I'm sure that's just enough for the rent and the bills."

"And my child would do better with you?" Brooke asked as her anger level increased further. She was sick of how her mother always belittled her. "Control every aspect of their life so that they don't have any freedom? Push them so much that they feel like they can't think for themselves? Gee, history will repeat itself all over again."

"Don't be so dramatic. You know your attitude changed once _that_ boy showed up," Victoria snapped back.

"No, that's when _you_ started noticing the changes," Brooke corrected her. "I started changing way before that. The only reason you pretended to care was Julian."

"Because he was leading you down the wrong path. You were just blinded by love that you didn't see it," Victoria insisted. Brooke just continued to glare at her. Victoria gave her a look as she spoke again. "And now that you're free of him, you should come home. You and I both know that you can't raise this baby on your own."

"I never said that I wanted to keep the baby," Brooke said.

Victoria tried not to laugh. "You must be joking. Clearly you're not thinking about having an abortion."

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "So you want me to tell that cheating son of a bitch that I'm having his baby so that he would come crawling back to me? No, thank you. I don't want him back."

Victoria gave her an annoyed look. "Of course not. He doesn't deserve to ask for your forgiveness. But he has to pay you child support," she replied.

Brooke groaned frustrated. "I don't want his money. I don't even want his child. All I want from him is a divorce."

"You can have your divorce. I just don't want your child to be punished for it," Victoria replied sounding surprisingly genuine.

Brooke looked at her confused. "Why do you care all of a sudden? You haven't cared about me for the last six years. So what made you change your mind? Is it because of your grandchild? Is that it?" she demanded.

"Believe it or not, I came here to help you in your time of need," Victoria protested. "But I can see that you still want to do everything against my better judgment. Very well. I'll leave." She then walked towards the door before she suddenly stopped. She turned around and looked at Brooke. "And how do you know I haven't stopped caring about you?" she asked her before she went out the door, leaving Brooke with her question.

The next day, Lucas could tell that Brooke was distracted by something. She started to mess up orders and made a mess with a few spills. Lucas hadn't known her for very long. But he knew that it was too strange that she would go from graceful and confident to being a klutz in one day. It was too obvious that something was bothering her.

He walked over to her and helped her clean up her latest spillage. Brooke turned red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "It's ok. It's just a spill. I'll finish cleaning it up. You go take a break. You look like you need it."

Brooke gave him a guilty look. "Am I that obvious?" Lucas laughed. Brooke sighed as she sat down at the counter. "I'm sorry. It's just that I had a bad day yesterday. The only good part about yesterday was getting this job and now, I'm messing it up on the first official day."

"So you don't like my daughter anymore?" Lucas teased her as he went back around the counter.

Brooke looked at him confused before realizing what he meant. "Ok, meeting Maddie was the best part of the day. By the way, where is Maddie today?" she asked him. She didn't even notice until now that she wasn't at the café.

"She's at Jake's house playing with Jenny, his daughter and her best friend," Lucas told her. "Jake and Jenny live next door to us. So she's happy that she doesn't have to go far to play with her friend."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is nice to have friends close by."

Lucas then thought for a moment. "I hope you don't think I'm pushing you, but have you decided on whether you wanted to stay in Tree Hill or not?"

Brooke shrugged. "I don't know. I want to, but I'm not sure." She then stifled a laugh. "I'm not even sure that I want to keep my baby."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I went through the same thing when my wife left me," he said quietly.

Brooke turned to him in shock. "Mr. Scott, I'm so sorry."

"Please call me Lucas. I may be your boss, but I'm also your friend," Lucas said as he gave her a smile. Brooke smiled in return. "And it's ok. It happened shortly after Maddie was born."

Brooke was surprised. "So you've been a single parent all this time?" Lucas nodded. She shook her head in amazement. "It must be tough. How do you do it?"

"I take it one day at a time," Lucas replied. "And it helped that my family was willing to help me out. Even Nathan and Haley, even though they had just had Jamie."

Brooke gave him a smile. "Your parents must have been happy with two grandchildren to spoil."

Lucas didn't know how to respond. So he gave the best answer he could. "That's actually a complicated subject." Brooke gave him a confused look. "It's a long story. Let's not get into it." He then changed the subject back to her. "So you're thinking about your baby?" he asked her.

Brooke nodded. There was a few seconds before she hesitantly asked her question. "How did you decide to keep Maddie after your wife left you?"

Lucas gave her a smile. "It was easy. I loved her too much to give her away to my parents. I knew it wasn't going to be easy being a single parent, but I was willing to try, for Maddie. And as I said before, I had my family to help me if I wanted it."

"You're lucky. I don't really have a family anymore," Brooke replied sadly.

"Maybe not. But you certainly have friends now," Lucas told her genuinely.

Brooke smiled in return. "Yeah, I do."

"And as your friend, I would like to invite you to dinner Monday night," Lucas said. "We can get to know each other more. And I know Maddie would love to see you again."

Brooke laughed. She knew that was true. "That sounds nice. I'd love to join you and Maddie."

Lucas smiled in return. "Great. Remind me to give you my address before you leave."

Brooke nodded. "I promise."

Lucas decided that it would be fun to keep the dinner guest a surprise until that night. He was excited himself. He was eager to have a new guest over. He also wanted to get to know Brooke more since he didn't know her that well.

He looked at the time and saw that Brooke would be arriving any minute. "Hey Maddie, could you set the table for me?" he called into the family room where Maddie was watching cartoons. A few seconds later, she appeared in the kitchen, ready to help him. Lucas helped her pull out the plates and silverware from the cupboard.

Maddie suddenly frowned, instantly noticing that there was three of everything. "Daddy, you grabbed too many."

Lucas just gave her a smile. "No, I didn't. We're having someone joining us for dinner tonight."

"Who is it?" Maddie asked excitedly as they heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she told him as Lucas smiled to himself. He waited a few seconds and heard a squeal of excitement. He chuckled, knowing that Brooke had arrived.

Sure enough, Maddie led Brooke into the kitchen, smiling happily. "Did you like my surprise?" Lucas asked her. Maddie nodded eagerly. He then looked at Brooke and gave her a smile. "Welcome to our lovely home. I hope you're hungry because I'm making plenty of food."

"We're having spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread, my favorite," Maddie told Brooke.

Brooke smiled in return. "Sounds perfect. I can't wait to eat it," she replied as she turned to Lucas. "Can I help you with anything?"

"No, you're the guest. Sit down and relax," Lucas insisted. "Dinner's almost ready. So just find a place at the table. What do you want to drink? We have milk, water and apple juice."

"I'll take water," Brooke replied.

A few minutes later, the three were sitting down and eating dinner. "So where did you move here from?" Lucas asked her.

"I moved here from Charlotte, but I grew up in New York City," Brooke replied.

Maddie's eyes went wide with surprise. "New York City? I want to go there. Daddy says he'll take me for my birthday. Or Disney World."

"Well, either trip sounds like a great present. When is your birthday?" Brooke asked her as she took a sip of her water.

Maddie smiled proudly. "It's on the Fourth of July. I get fireworks on my birthday."

Brooke smiled in return. "Wow, that's pretty special. And how old are you going to be?"

"I'm four going on five," Maddie replied as she turned to Brooke. "How old are you?"

"Maddie," Lucas scolded her. He then gave Brooke an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. She's not allowed to ask personal questions like that."

Brooke gave him a reassuring smile. "No, it's ok. I don't mind," she replied before she turned back to Maddie. "I'm twenty-three. And my birthday is in March." She somehow had a feeling that that was going to be her next question.

Maddie smiled. "Cool."

It wasn't long before the three had finished their meal. After dinner, Brooke helped Lucas and Maddie bring the dishes over to the dishwasher. Maddie then wiped the table before she went to the other room to watch some television, leaving Lucas and Brooke alone.

"What made her want to go to New York City?" Brooke asked him curious. "I mean I understand Disney World. Almost every little kid wants to go there. But why New York City?"

"Well, she knows a little about it. She's dying to go to Central Park. And she wants to see the Statue of Liberty," Lucas replied. "She really wants to go. So I thought it would be the perfect birthday present/summer vacation."

"Well, you guys will certainly have fun there if you go. I haven't been back there since I eloped. I'm hoping that I will be able to go back someday and will take my children there for a visit," Brooke said. "Even if I am a single parent."

Lucas turned to her. "Does that mean you're going to keep your baby?"

Brooke didn't have a chance to answer as Maddie came back into the kitchen, carrying a game with her. "Brooke, will you play Memory with me, please?" she asked her.

Brooke gave her a smile. "Sure, why don't you set it up? I need to use your bathroom."

Lucas showed her to the bathroom before he went back to the kitchen. His daughter gave him a wide smile. "What are you smiling about?" he asked, as he couldn't help but smile himself. "Are you smiling because of your new friend?"

"Maybe," Maddie replied as Lucas started tickling her. She giggled in delight as she tried to get him to stop. Finally, he did right before Brooke came back into the kitchen. She helped Maddie finish up setting up the game before they started playing. Lucas watched them fondly.

After two games, it was a tie. So Maddie and Brooke decided to play one more game to break the tie. Maddie happily won. Lucas rewarded her with bringing out the chocolate ice cream that he had bought earlier. Maddie squealed in delight since chocolate ice cream was her favorite flavor. Lucas and Brooke soon joined her.

"Can we play another game?" Maddie asked Brooke eagerly.

"Sorry kiddo. But it's about time for you to go to bed," Lucas told her. "And I'm sure Brooke needs to get home."

Maddie was disappointed. "Can't you stay a little longer?" she asked Brooke.

Brooke gave her a smile. "No, your dad's right. It's getting late and I should be getting home. But we'll see each other again soon. After all, I do work at the café," she gently reminded her. The two then exchanged good-byes before Brooke followed Lucas to the front hall. She gave him a smile as she said, "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious."

Lucas smiled in return. "You're welcome. And you are welcomed here anytime."

"Thank you. Good night Lucas," Brooke said as she walked out the front door.

Lucas suddenly stopped her. She turned to him, curious to know what he was going to say. "You never did answer my question. Are you going to keep your baby?"

Brooke gave him a smile. "Thanks to you and Maddie, I am," she replied before she headed towards her car. Lucas couldn't help but smile as he watched her. He waited until she drove away before closing the front door and walking back inside.


	5. Family Gathering

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews. And to be clear: Haley's a private music teacher. Thanks to my awesome beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own my characters

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**Family Gathering**

On Thursday afternoon, Lucas picked the children up from preschool before they headed to the airport. Both children were excited and anxious to see their grandmother again. So was Lucas. It had been a long two-and-a-half weeks. But from what he had heard from his mother, she had had a nice time in Hawaii.

"Can you see her yet?" Lucas asked Jamie and Maddie as they waited for Karen to arrive. Her plane had landed on time, so it was just the matter of waiting for her to walk from the gate to the terminal.

"Yeah, and she's with Grandma Deb," Jamie told him excitedly as he spotted them.

Lucas frowned in confusion as he looked towards the terminal. He was surprised to see his mother and Deb walking towards them. They gave them a smile as the grandchildren ran to their grandmothers to greet them. Karen and Deb embraced Maddie and Jamie in a hug before they switched kids. Jamie and Maddie then pulled them over to Lucas. He gave them a smile. "Hey Mom," he said as he embraced her in a hug. He then pulled away as he looked at Deb. "It's nice to see you again, Deb."

Deb returned the smile. "It's nice to see you too, Lucas."

"We met up in Hawaii and decided to fly home together," Karen explained. "I hope you don't mind, but I told her we would take her home."

"I told that's not necessary. I'll just take a cab home," Deb protested.

"No, don't be ridiculous. We would be happy to drive you home," Lucas told her. "It's no problem."

Deb smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Lucas."

"Come on. Let's get your suitcases," Lucas told them. Deb and the children got ready to lead the way. "So how was your flight?" he asked his mother as they walked towards baggage claim.

"It was good. How was managing the café without me?" Karen asked him.

Lucas laughed as he said, "I don't know how you do it all the time. It makes me really grateful for what you do for the café and the family."

Karen smiled at his words. "Thanks honey. Speaking of the café, whose capable hands is it in this time?"

"Haley's. And don't worry. This time, she offered to do it," Lucas replied.

"How is Ms. Davis working out?" Karen asked him as they arrived at the baggage claim.

"Great. There haven't been any complaints about her so far. And she seems to get along with the rest of the staff," Lucas replied. He then smiled as he added, "And she's great with kids."

"I can't wait to meet her," Karen said with a smile.

"Well, she's working today if you want to stop by the café," Lucas told her. "I'm sure she would love to meet you too."

Karen nodded in agreement. She then changed the subject. "I talked to your sister this morning. She's doing well." There was a short pause. "Have you spoken to Keith lately?" she asked him quietly. She didn't want the children to hear. However, they seemed to be preoccupied with talking to Deb as they waited for the suitcases to appear.

"No, I haven't," Lucas replied. "But you should." Karen gave him a look. "I know it's none of my business, but you two really need to talk. I'd really hate to see you and Keith separate, let alone divorce. Otherwise, I'm afraid you and Keith will jinx Nathan and Haley or something."

Karen gave him a gentle smile. "I will. Just give me some time. After all, I just got back."

"You always told me the sooner, the better," Lucas reminded her. Karen knew he had a point.

* * *

><p>"You know, you shouldn't be working. You really should be getting ready so you can greet your mother-in-law when she gets home," Brooke told Haley as they worked behind the counter together at the café. Haley had closed the café just moments earlier so the Scott family could have the place to themselves.<p>

Haley gave her a smile. "Well, she'll probably want to come here first. After all, I'm sure she wants to meet her new employee. You are staying, right? Or are you still thinking about moving back to New York?" she asked her friend eagerly.

She hadn't had a chance to talk to Brooke since last week when Peyton had made the unexpected visit to the café. Once Peyton had left, she didn't mention her again. She was relieved when Brooke didn't ask about her. However, she knew that she had to tell Lucas about Peyton's return soon before he was hit with the bombshell. Nathan agreed with her. It was better to hear it from them instead of Lucas having Peyton surprise him. However, they could never find the right time to tell him. Every time they tried, something or someone would stop them.

Brooke sighed and frowned as she said, "I don't know. I was thinking about it until my mother showed up, claiming that she wants to help me with the baby."

Haley could tell that her new friend was frustrated. "Ok, you really need to stop stressing about all this. It's not good for you or the baby."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "I know."

Haley thought for a moment before giving her a smile and saying, "You know what you need? You need a shopping trip."

Brooke smiled in return. "You just said the magic word."

"I thought so. We can go Saturday afternoon," Haley suggested. "I can pick you up around ten-thirty or so."

Brooke agreed. "Yeah, that'll be perfect."

Just then, someone came into the café. Haley and Brooke exchanged smiles as Jamie came running over to his mom. They embraced each other in a hug as Maddie and the rest of the Scott family came in. Haley followed Jamie over to them.

Brooke smiled to herself as she watched the happy scene before her. She decided to wait before she introduced herself. She didn't want to interrupt the family reunion. So she started to go back to work when she heard a small voice. "Hi Brooke."

Brooke turned around to see Maddie. She smiled as she greeted the little girl. "Hi Maddie."

"Want to come and meet my grandmas?" Maddie asked her as she held out her hand. Brooke nodded and took her hand. She let Maddie bring her over to the group. She smiled happily as she did the introductions. "Grandma, this is Brooke."

Karen smiled warmly at Brooke. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Brooke. I hope my family has been making you feel welcome in Tree Hill."

Brooke returned the smile as Maddie answered for her. "Don't worry, Grandma. We are."

Everyone laughed as Deb introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Deb Scott," she said as she extended out her hand.

"Brooke Davis," Brooke replied as she shook it. "Are you related to Lucas too?" she asked her curious. She couldn't help but ask.

"It's a long story," Lucas replied. "I'll tell it to you later. Right now, why don't you take a break?"

Brooke was about to protest when Karen spoke up. "Please join us. I'd love to get to know my new waitress."

"Please, Brooke?" Maddie asked her in a pleading tone.

Brooke knew that she could never refuse when Maddie was around. "Alright, I will," she replied as she took off her apron. She followed the group to a table while Lucas and Haley stayed behind.

"Well, it looks like Brooke won't have any problems with Mom. Of course I knew she wouldn't," Lucas told Haley.

Haley nodded in agreement before she gave him a smile. "I heard that you and Maddie were responsible for convincing Brooke to keep her baby," she said. Lucas smiled proudly. However, he could see that she wanted to tell him something else. "Hales, what is it? You and Nathan have been acting strange all week. Is everything ok between you two?"

"No, it's nothing like that." There was a short pause as Haley tried to figure out how to break the news gently. "Nathan and I are fine." Lucas was relieved. However, he still wondered what was going on. Haley groaned quietly to herself as she started to speak.

Just then, Jamie and Maddie came rushing over to them. Haley sighed as they did. She wondered if she would ever get around to telling Lucas before he ended up running into Peyton. "Daddy, look what Grandma got us," Maddie said as she showed her dad her gift. Jamie did the same with his mom. "She says that she even got a present for Brooke."

Lucas smiled at her. "That's nice of her." He then jumped as the door opened. However, he was relieved when he saw it was Nathan. "Where have you been? You're missing out on all the fun," he teased him as Nathan gave Jamie a hug.

"Sorry, there was a fight between two basketball players over a girl. I had to break that up before it got too messy," Nathan told him as he turned towards his mother. He tried not to show his surprise when he saw Deb. Instead, he just exchanged greetings with her and his mother.

After celebrating with cake and ice cream, they continued to sit and talk. It was there that Brooke learned about Lily since Karen had mentioned her. Lucas was relieved when nobody mentioned Keith or Dan. He wanted to save the whole story for when he was ready.

It was soon time for Nathan, Haley and Jamie to go home. So they offered to take Deb home and she accepted. As Nathan and Lucas helped Deb get her suitcase out of the trunk, Haley talked to Karen for a little bit longer.

"I know you just got back, but Brooke and I are thinking about going shopping on Saturday. And I was wondering if you would like to join us. Do you think you'll be up for it?" Haley asked Karen. She then turned to Brooke. "That is if you don't mind."

"No, I don't," Brooke replied with a smile. "The more, the merrier right?"

Karen gave her a smile. "I'd love to then."

"Great, we'll see you then. Bye Karen," Haley said as she embraced her mother-in-law in a hug.

"Bye Haley," Karen replied as she and Brooke followed them out the door. After a few minutes of hugging and saying good-bye, four members of the Scott family were gone. Brooke soon decided to follow.

She said her good-byes before Lucas walked her out to her car. There were a few moments of awkward silence before Brooke spoke. "How much does your mom knows about me?" Brooke asked him.

"She knows that you're Haley's friend and you're going through a rough time with your estranged husband including getting ready for the baby alone," Lucas replied.

Brooke sighed. "There's a reason for that. I haven't told him yet. And I would appreciate it if you and your family wouldn't tell anybody else."

"I'm afraid that that might be harder than it looks. Tree Hill is a small town. And people talk," Lucas replied. "But I'll do the best I can to make sure the rumors don't go too far."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Lucas. I really appreciate it."

"Well, I know what it's like. I went through the same thing when my wife left me," Lucas replied. "Don't worry. I have your back. And so does my family. Well, you might have to meet Lily first before she decides." Brooke laughed. "But I'm sure she would side with you."

"Speaking of Lily, you owe me a story about how you are related to all these people," Brooke reminded him.

Lucas nodded. "I did, didn't I? How about tomorrow afternoon during our lunch break?" he asked her.

Brooke agreed. "And since you're telling me a story, I think it's only fair that I tell you part of my story."

"You don't have to do that. You should do it when you're ready to tell me, not because you think you have to," Lucas said.

Brooke knew he had a point. "I know," she replied. Lucas just looked at her. "Good night, Lucas. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Lucas repeated as she pulled the car away from the curb. He waved good-bye as she headed onto the street. He waited until she was down the street before he headed back inside.

"So what did you think about Brooke?" Lucas asked his mother as he watched her clean up the mess on the table.

"I can see why Maddie was raving about her. She's very sweet. But I would really like to know her before I judge her," Karen replied. "So it's a good thing that I'm going shopping with Haley and Brooke Saturday afternoon."

"When are you talking to Keith then?" Lucas asked her.

"I'll talk to Keith when I'm ready to talk to him," his mother said annoyed.

Lucas sighed. He then knew the subject was closed. "Listen, do you think you can keep Brooke's pregnancy a secret? You know how people like to talk in this town."

Karen gave him a smile. "Of course I can."

"Thanks Mom," Lucas replied, smiling in return.


	6. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**A/N:** Thank for all the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer:** Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

**Hit Me With Your Best Shot**

After a busy morning, Lucas and Brooke were finally able to take their lunch break. Brooke was surprised, but pleased when Lucas offered to make their lunches. She just shook her head in amazement as she watched him cook some burgers over the stove. She couldn't believe how easy it looked, yet she could never perform that simple task. "I don't understand how you can easily cook over the stove and I burn everything I try to make," Brooke told him.

Lucas gave her a smile. "I'm sure that's not true," he replied. There was a short pause as he thought for a moment. "You know, I can teach you how to cook if you want."

Brooke looked at him surprised. "Really?" she asked him. Lucas nodded. "That would be nice," she replied gratefully as he brought their food over to her. He set the plates on the counter before he got their drinks. She waited patiently until Lucas returned with their drinks before eating.

"So are you ready for my sad tale?" Lucas asked her. Brooke nodded. He then took a deep breath before he spoke. "Ok, here it goes. My parents divorced when I was two and Nathan was just a baby. It was a messy divorce since my dad wanted custody of us. But my mom wouldn't let him. He eventually left us alone, but he still tried to get involved in our lives. My Uncle Keith started to help my mom out and they eventually admitted their true feelings for each other. When I was seven, they got married on Valentine's Day. Then shortly after that, they found out that they were pregnant with Lily, who's now attending North Carolina State University." There was a short pause. "Then Dan met Deb. They were married for awhile before they divorced. But we still consider Deb as part of the family."

Brooke nodded understandingly as she listened to him. "Now I know why you hate when couples separate or divorce."

"It's not that I hate it. It's just that I think people should really think things through before divorcing. For an example, take my mom and my Uncle Keith. They are going through a rough patch in their marriage and are taking some time apart from each other right now. They aren't separating yet. So I'm hoping that they will be able to work out their differences. Unlike my dad, I believe that Keith belongs with my mom."

"Your dad is that bad?" Brooke asked him in a surprised tone.

"Well, he was divorced twice," Lucas joked.

Brooke laughed. "I'm sure your mom and uncle will work things out. People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end," she said as she gave him a smile.

Lucas returned the smile. "Where did you get that?" he asked her curiously.

"Actually, I came up with it myself," Brooke replied proudly.

"I love it," Lucas told her genuinely, as he smiled. "It's definitely one of my top favorite quotes now." He then changed the subject. "So what about you? What's your story?" he asked her.

Brooke let out a sigh. "Ok, here's my story. As you know, I used to live in New York City with my overbearing parents. I hated it because there were so many rules I had to follow and stick to. I felt like I couldn't have any fun. In my junior year of high school, I met Julian. And he showed me everything that I was missing out on. Even though my parents disapproved of my relationship with him, we continued to date. But they kept trying to push us apart. So Julian came up with the only solution: elope and start our new life away from my parents. I agreed and we did it right after our high school graduation. We then moved to Charlotte and started attending college together. I thought everything was fine with us until I came home from work early one day and found my husband in bed with his secretary."

Lucas gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know that it might not seem like it now, but things will get better. It will just take time," he assured her. He then thought for a moment. "You know, I don't think I ever heard you say how far along you are."

Brooke had to think for a moment as she worked out it in her head. "Well, I was eight weeks when I was going to tell my husband. It's been a couple of weeks since then. So I'd say ten weeks."

"So you're almost done with your first trimester already?" Lucas asked in surprise.

Brooke nodded. "It's funny because I didn't even know I was pregnant at first."

"Let me guess? You thought you had the flu and couldn't get rid of it?" Lucas asked her. Brooke nodded in response. "That's what happened to Haley. It's probably because she and Nathan didn't expect to get pregnant when they were nineteen."

"Julian and I talked about having kids right away. We immediately agreed that we would wait until after college to start a family," Brooke explained. She then groaned quietly to herself. "Who knew it would come at the worst possible time?"

"To be honest with you, I don't think there is a good or bad time to have a baby," Lucas replied. "It happens when it is meant to happen."

"You are certainly an optimistic," Brooke noted.

"Well, I learned that from raising Maddie alone. I can't change the past," he told her. Brooke knew that was true. "All I can do is move forward and focus on today. And speaking of today, I'm letting you have the afternoon off."

"Lucas, you don't have to do that," Brooke protested.

"You worked hard yesterday. So you deserve an afternoon off. You are free to do whatever you want like resting. You won't be able to do much of that once your baby comes. Trust me," Lucas advised her with a knowing smile.

Brooke laughed. "Well, I'm glad that I have two baby experts to help me." Lucas gave her a confused look. "You and Haley," she explained.

Lucas gave her a teasing look. "You do realize it's been almost five years since either of us had a baby around the house?" Brooke knew he had a point. "And as far as I know, Haley's not pregnant again."

"You never know," Brooke replied.

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you know something I don't?"

"I only know that they've been talking about expanding their family, but that's it," Brooke replied.

Lucas nodded. "They've been talking about it for the last few weeks or so. I don't blame them. I know Jamie would love to have a little sibling around."

Brooke was thoughtful for a moment before she spoke again. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you think you will ever get back into dating again?"

Lucas let out a sigh. "I don't know. Nathan and Haley have been bugging me about it for months. But it's not like I can just jump into a relationship. I have Maddie to think about. Just wait and see. You'll find out how hard it is to find someone who is willing to date a single parent."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Thanks for the warning."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you'll find the right person just like I will," Lucas said as he tried to cheer her up. He didn't mean to upset her. "It's just like you said."

Brooke knew exactly what he was referring to. "People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end," she repeated as she gave him a smile.

Lucas smiled in return. "Exactly."

Just then, they heard someone coming into the café. They turned to see Haley and they both exchanged greetings with her as she walked over to them. "Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Lucas shook his head. "No, we were just about done with our lunch. Do you want me to make something for you?"

Haley shook her head. "Actually, I came by to ask you a favor. I know this is a little early, but do you think you could watch Jamie on Valentine's Day for me and Nathan? I would ask Karen, but I'm hoping that if I ask you, she and Keith will make plans that night."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I'll do it," he agreed.

Haley smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Luke. I owe you one." She then turned to Brooke. "We are still on for tomorrow afternoon with Karen, right?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." She then remembered that Lucas had given her the afternoon off. "Speaking of that, I should probably rest up for tomorrow," she said as she hopped off the chair. "I'll see you guys later."

Haley waited until Brooke was gone before she got ready to speak. However, Lucas spoke first. "Hales, I just realized that I have to go to the drugstore to pick up something. Do you think you could watch the café for a little bit until I get back?" he asked her hopefully. Haley nodded. Lucas smiled as he took off his apron. "Thanks, Hales. I owe you one." Haley didn't say anything as he left the café. She just groaned quietly to herself, knowing that she once again missed her chance to tell Lucas about Peyton.

The weekend passed quickly. Soon, it was another Monday morning and Lucas got ready for work. It was Jake's turn for carpool. So he didn't have to worry about trying to get Maddie off to preschool before going to the café.

After making sure Maddie was with Jake and Jenny, Lucas headed over to the café. As he walked into the door, he saw that his mother was already working behind the counter. To his surprise, Haley was with her. However, both of them were quiet. They seemed to be distracted by something.

"Mom, what's wrong?" he asked concerned. Haley gestured him to turn around. Lucas gave her a confused look before he did. He gasped as he looked through the front windows of the café. He was surprised to see the building across the street was having its grand opening of the Tree Hill Café. He couldn't believe that he had missed it earlier.

"I saw the flyer in the paper this morning. I didn't think it was a big deal until I saw where it was located," Haley told him with a sigh as she frowned.

Lucas then turned back to his mother. "Don't worry. You've had this place for over twenty-five years. There's no way that our customers would pick that place over us."

Karen smiled gratefully. "I hope you're right Lucas."

"Still, it makes me curious to check the café out. I'm dying to find out who the owners are. Clearly, they don't realize who their competition is," Haley said.

"We'll be right back, Mom," Lucas told his mother before he headed out the door. Haley was right behind him. "We're not going to do anything rash, right?" he asked her as they walked across the street.

Haley gave him a look. "Of course not. We're just going to walk in there and give them a nice warm welcome. And we'll then warn them that they are going to have to fight to stay here," she replied.

"This should be interesting," Lucas said as they reached the door. He pulled the door open and let Haley go through the door first. He walked in right after her. Lucas was a little surprised to see how many people were there for the grand opening. They exchanged looks as they made their way to the counter. "Excuse me? Could we please speak to the owner?"

"Is there a problem?" asked a voice behind them.

Lucas and Haley turned around to see the owner. Lucas didn't even have a chance to say anything as Haley spoke up first. "No, we just want to welcome you to the neighborhood. And we want to warn you about the competition you have across the street. Karen's Café has been here for over twenty-five years and we are not going to let your little café take it out of business," she exclaimed angrily.

The man stopped her right there. "I'm well aware of how long Karen's Café has been around. And that's the reason that my girlfriend and I are here. I want to show this town that it's time to bring the next generation in to take over," he said. He smirked as he said, "Out with the old, in with the new."

Haley scoffed at him while Lucas glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Who are you anyway?" Lucas asked him. This guy was really starting to irritate him.

"I'm Julian Baker, co-owner of this wonderful café," Julian told him.

Haley immediately realized that there was going to be trouble if she didn't get Lucas out of there straight away. However, Lucas was too quick for her. "You wouldn't happen to know Brooke Davis, would you?" he asked him.

Julian just shook his head in amusement. "Why am I not surprised that Brooke has been telling horror stories about me?" He didn't have a chance to say anything as Lucas punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. The customers looked on in surprise.

"That's for cheating on Brooke and leaving her to raise your baby by herself," Lucas exclaimed angrily. Julian was so startled that he didn't say anything at first. Just then, footsteps were heard and a person made it through the crowd. Lucas could only stare at the woman in shock as she went over to Julian and helped him up. He couldn't believe that he was face-to-face with the woman who had left him to be a single parent. He then realized that she was also the one who Julian had cheated with. This was just too much for him. He just pushed through the crowd and ran out of the café, ignoring Haley's calls.

Haley let out a sigh as she heard Julian's angry voice. "I'm pressing charges against him. How dare he treat me like that in my own café?"

"Well, you deserve it," Haley snapped before she went through the crowd and walked out of the café. She looked around for Lucas and couldn't find him anywhere. She knew that he must have run off somewhere. She knew that she had to let him go and let him come back on his own. He needed some alone time right now.


	7. Do What You Gotta Do

**A/N**: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

** Do What You Gotta Do**

As Brooke got closer to the café, she couldn't help noticing the huge sign in front of the building across the street. She shook her head in disbelief. She knew that whoever the owners were did this on purpose. Otherwise, they wouldn't be opening up a café right across from Karen's Café.

Brooke pulled up in front of the café and parked the car. She then grabbed her purse from the passenger seat before she opened the door. She climbed out of the car and closed the door before securing the car. She then hurried into the café as she tried to stay warm. "I can't believe how cold it gets here," she said after she arrived in and headed towards the counter, where Karen and Haley were talking. "Do you think I can grab a nice cup of hot chocolate before I start working?" Brooke asked them hopefully.

Karen and Haley exchanged looks before turning back to Brooke. "I'm guessing you saw the sign?" Haley asked her. Brooke nodded. "Well, that's not the worst news."

Brooke frowned as she asked, "What could be worse than that?"

"Your soon-to-be ex-husband and his girlfriend are the owners of the rival café," Haley told her softly. Brooke was shocked as she heard what Haley had to say. "And as soon as Lucas found that out, he punched Julian." Brooke couldn't help but laugh as she imagined the scene. Her laughter quickly stopped as she heard Haley add, "And now Julian wants Lucas arrested for assault."

"What?" Brooke demanded. She couldn't believe her ears. "Don't worry. I'll go to talk to him and convince him to drop the charges."

She was about to leave the café when Haley stopped her for a moment. "Have you told Julian about the baby yet?" she asked hesitantly.

Brooke shook her head. "No, why do you ask?"

"Because Lucas blurted it out right before he punched Julian," Haley replied as she grimaced slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm sure if he would have known, he wouldn't have said it aloud."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Thanks for the warning."

Karen gave her a smile. "I'll make that hot chocolate for you once you come back," she promised her.

Brooke gave her a smile in return as she headed out of the café. She then walked across the street and marched into the café and up to the counter. The hostess just smiled at her. "Welcome to Tree Hill Café. How may I help you?" she asked.

"I'm here to speak to one of the owners, Julian Baker," Brooke replied, trying to keep her anger under control.

"He's in the back. I'll go get him," she told her before she left the counter.

Brooke tried to remain patient as she waited for Julian to show up. She was disappointed when she saw that it was Peyton who appeared from the back room. She glared at Brooke as she walked over to her. "Julian doesn't want to see you. And just like your little café, you and the Scott family aren't welcome here. So I suggest that you get out before I call the police on you."

"What is it with you and the Scott family? What have they ever done to you?" Brooke asked her in disbelief.

"That's none of your business. Now get out," Peyton demanded as she continued to glare angrily at Brooke.

"Peyton, is that any way to treat our customers?" Julian asked her as he came into view. He had an ice pack over his sore eye. "I'll take care of her, but it looks like we need a more private place to talk."

"Why don't we go to my place?" Brooke asked, trying to remain civil.

Julian agreed before turning to Peyton. He gave her a smile. "I'll be back soon," he told her. Brooke just rolled her eyes as she fought the urge not to say anything to them.

Peyton gave him a smile in return. "Hurry back. It's not a party without you," she replied as she gave him a kiss. She and Brooke exchanged glares as Brooke and Julian left the café.

* * *

><p>Lucas bounced the ball as he looked at the basket. He couldn't count how many times that he had tried to make the basket since he had arrived at the River Court. He knew that it was because of his thoughts distracting him. He couldn't help it. The knowledge of finding out about what Peyton had done was just unbelievable.<p>

He decided to try shooting the ball again. He aimed the ball to shoot and threw it towards the basket. He groaned in frustration as the ball bounced off the backboard and came back to him. He grabbed the ball and started to head to the three-point line.

"Boy, you must be really upset if you can't make a basket," said a familiar voice.

Lucas turned to see Keith walking towards him. "How did you know I was here?" he asked him.

Keith just gave him a smile. "Come on, Luke. I know you too well. You always come here when you're angry and frustrated." Lucas knew that he had a point. He didn't say anything as Keith continued. "Your mom called and told me what was going on with Peyton."

Lucas sighed as he walked to the bleachers and sat down. He set the basketball down beside him. "Yeah, I'm still getting over the shock of it all."

Keith sat down next to him and nodded understandingly. "I know."

"I can't believe she's back in Tree Hill," Lucas said in disbelief. He looked at his uncle as he asked, "What if she wants custody of Maddie? I don't know if I will be able to stand it if my little girl is taken away from me."

Keith stopped him right there. "Whoa, you don't know if that's the reason that Peyton is back in Tree Hill."

"Why else would she be here? Surely, she's not here to make amends with everybody," Lucas replied with a frown. "Because she certainly isn't starting out the right way."

Keith knew that he was talking about the rival café. "I know it's hard, but you should try to give her a second chance. Maybe she will surprise you," he said.

Lucas looked at him and raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Why do I have a feeling that you're talking more about your relationship with Mom than mine?"

Keith laughed. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not."

Lucas managed a small smile. "So you actually talked to Mom without fighting?" he asked him.

Keith smiled in return as he nodded. "Once I heard that you were in trouble, I knew that there was no time for fighting." Lucas gave him a confused look. He had no idea what his uncle was talking about, so Keith began to explain. "Apparently, Mr. Baker is going to press charges for assault unless your friend Ms. Davis convinces him otherwise."

Lucas groaned as he said, "I forgot that I told that bastard that she's pregnant with his baby. She's going to kill me."

Keith couldn't help smiling. "Well, I would love to meet your killer before she kills you. Is that possible?"

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure it is. You should stop by the café sometime. I'm sure she would love to meet another member of the Scott family. Except for Dan obviously. That is one person I hope she never gets to meet."

Keith couldn't argue with him on that. He immediately changed the subject. "Why don't we go back to your mom's café and get some hot chocolate? I'm sure you don't want to stay out here in the cold, do you? I'm sure she needs some support from us right now and so do you." Lucas sighed before he finally agreed.

After having some hot chocolate with his parents, Lucas went back to work serving the customers. Despite the grand opening of the Tree Hill café, there were still a lot of people who were coming in to eat their meals there. However, there were still stares and whispers among the customers as Lucas went past them. He did his best to ignore them.

He then heard the café door open again and looked up to see Brooke. He could tell that she was upset. "Are you going to kill me for accidently telling Julian about your baby?" Lucas asked softly.

Brooke managed a laugh as she said, "No, I'm planning on killing him instead." Lucas couldn't help smiling at that. "I know you didn't do it on purpose. I convinced him not to press charges against you, but you have to give him an apology and you have to mean it." Lucas sighed. "And he wants it within the next twenty-four hours, otherwise he says he's going to go to the cops."

Lucas gave her a look. "You want me to apologize to that bastard? After what he has done to you?"

Brooke gave him a grateful smile. "Lucas, I appreciate you looking after me. But hitting Julian isn't the way to do it, even if he does deserve it. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of getting you charged."

Lucas laughed. "I'm always happy to help." There was a short pause before Lucas said, "And I'll go and apologize to him tomorrow morning. It will give me a chance to work on what to say. But only that is only if you will join me and Maddie for dinner tonight."

Brooke instantly agreed. She gave him a smile as she said, "I'd be happy to. I'll be by around six."

"We'll see you then," Lucas replied, with a warm smile as Brooke started walking away from him. He then stopped her as he placed his hand on her arm and said, "Wait, there's someone I want you to meet first." He didn't let her respond as he gently guided her over to the counter, where Keith was working. He gave her a smile as Lucas did the introductions. "Brooke, I'd like you to meet my Uncle Keith. Keith, this is Brooke Davis."

Keith and Brooke shook hands. "It's nice to meet you, Brooke," Keith said with a warm smile.

"It's nice to meet you too," Brooke replied, smiling in return. She then suddenly had a look of urgency on her face. "Would you excuse me for one second?" she asked him. He only had a chance to nod for a second before Brooke dashed for the bathroom.

"She's nice. I like her," Keith told Lucas as they watched her hurry off.

"You should see her with Maddie. She's really great with her. She's going to be a great mom," Lucas replied with a fond smile.

"And she has the best person to help her out too," Keith added, making Lucas smile proudly at the compliment.

For the rest of the day, Lucas helped out at the café until both Keith and Karen let him and Brooke go. They could tell that they wanted to talk alone. He gladly left the café with Brooke right behind him. "I just want to thank you for getting me out of that jam with Julian," Lucas told her as they headed towards their cars. "I'll make sure I'll apologize tomorrow."

"Well, I certainly couldn't let you go to jail. What kind of friend I would be if I let that happen?" Brooke asked him as she gave him a friendly smile. Lucas knew that she had a point. "Well, I have to run some errands. I'll see you and Maddie tonight."

Lucas smiled in return. "Looking forward to it. And I'm sure that Maddie will too."

He walked her to the car and watched her leave before heading to his own car. He unlocked the door and climbed in the front seat. As he started the car, he turned to the Tree Hill Café and watched Peyton as she served her customers. He just shook his head in disbelief as he sighed at the thought of apologizing to Julian. However, he would rather do that than face legal proceedings. He then climbed in his car, before he pulled the car out in the street and drove off.

That evening, Lucas made the three of them some chili for dinner. He immediately noticed how quiet Brooke was as they sat down to eat. He was surprised since she had been so cheerful earlier. He saw that Brooke did her best to be cheerful when Maddie chatted to her, but he could tell that something was weighing on her mind. After dinner, Brooke helped Lucas to clear the table while he sent Maddie to watch some cartoons. He could tell that something was bothering her again and that she wanted to talk about it privately with him.

"What's wrong? Did something happen with Julian?" Lucas asked in a caring tone.

Brooke sighed as she stopped clearing the things away. She looked at him as she began to explain. "No, my landlord bumped up the amount of rent he wants from me. Which is an ridiculous amount. And I know that I can't ask you for a raise so soon. And the whole thing with Julian is making me want to go back to New York City."

Lucas stopped her right there. He looked her directly in the eyes as he said, "Whoa, you don't have to go back to New York. You can stay here with Maddie and me. We have plenty of room for both you and your baby. We'd both love having you here."

Brooke smiled gratefully. "Lucas, thanks for the offer, but I couldn't."

"I insist. It's the least I can do," Lucas said. "And it would be nice to have some adult company around here too."

Brooke didn't answer for a few moments. She smiled as she said, "I'll think about it."

"Make sure that you do," Lucas told her in response as he smiled back.


	8. Just Watch The Fireworks

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta, Leeese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own my characters

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

** Just Watch The Fireworks**

Lucas was glancing through his books that were in his office when he heard a knock at the open door. He turned to see Haley standing in the doorway. "I stopped by the café and Karen told me that you took the day off," she said as he turned back towards his books. "Are you packing up your books?" she asked as she noticed the boxes around the room.

"Yeah, I wanted to get a head start on my surprise for Brooke," Lucas replied, not looking at her. It hadn't taken Brooke long to accept his offer to move in with him and Maddie. It was soon decided that she would move into the guestroom. However, Lucas thought that he would surprise Brooke by turning his office into a nursery. That way, Brooke and the baby wouldn't be cramped into a small room.

Haley noticed his tone and frowned. "Are you mad at me or something?" she asked him confused. "Did everything go ok with Julian the other day?" she asked him, referring to the apology that he had been made to make to Julian.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, everything went fine with him considering Peyton wasn't around," he said angrily. He finally turned to her. "Speaking of her, when were you and Nathan going to tell me that she was back in town?" Haley didn't answer as her frown deepened. "Is that what you've been trying to tell me for the past few weeks?"

Haley sighed as she began to explain. "We tried telling you, but we kept on getting interrupted." There was then a short pause. "And I was hoping that she wasn't going to stay for very long. I didn't realize that she would buy the building across the street from Karen's Café. Of course, I shouldn't have been that surprised. She always seems to know exactly the right thing to piss us off."

"You're only saying that because you two never got along," Lucas said. Haley gave him a disbelieving look. "Don't give me that. I'm giving her a second chance. You should too."

Haley scoffed at the suggestion. "I guess you're saying I should give Dan a second chance too?" she said.

Lucas glared at her. "That's completely different."

"I don't see how. They both abandoned you when you needed them the most," Haley pointed out. "They both returned back into your life when you didn't want them to. The only real difference is that you haven't seen Peyton's true colors yet. Because if you did, you wouldn't even think of giving her a second chance. You would be telling her to stay away from you and Maddie. Actually, I suggest you do it now before you find out what's she up to. Because you and I both know that she isn't just here to set up Tree Hill Café with her new boyfriend. She's up to something and I have a feeling that it's not something good."

Lucas gave her a look. "You don't know that. Yes, she and Julian bought the place across the street from ours. But that doesn't mean anything."

Haley looked at him in amazement. "I can't believe you're defending her after all this time, especially after you found out that she is the one who Julian cheated with," she said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, she has been avoiding me since I found out that she was back," Lucas replied as he walked past Haley and out into the hall. She followed him as he went downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Lucas, I know you believe in second chances and all. I do too. Believe me I do. But Peyton is not one of those people who can change. And I'm not just saying that because I don't trust her. I'm saying that because of look what she has done to you and our family over the years."

Lucas didn't answer as they heard a knock at the front door. "Could you answer that?" he asked Haley.

She nodded in response as she walked out of the kitchen and into the front hall. She then went to the door and opened it. She wasn't surprised when she found Peyton standing there. She didn't even hesitate before speaking. "What the hell are you doing here, Peyton?"

Peyton gave her a look. "Why do you think I'm here? I'm here to talk to Lucas."

"What makes you think that he wants to talk to you?" Haley snapped as Lucas came into the hall. He just glared angrily at Peyton as Haley spoke again. "I'll call you later," she told Lucas before she pushed past Peyton and headed to her car. She knew that they need to talk alone. However, she had a feeling that the conversation wouldn't go well. Things never did when Peyton was involved. She wished that she could stay, but knew that Lucas had to do this alone. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't fall for her act again. Otherwise, there would be trouble.

"We need to talk," Peyton told him.

"I have nothing to say to you," Lucas replied before he started to shut the door on her. Even though he had just defended Peyton to Haley, he wasn't ready to talk to her.

Peyton immediately stopped the door from going any further. "Fine, I'll talk and you listen." Lucas hated that she was stubborn and would never back down until she got her way. They looked at each other for a few moments before Lucas finally gave in and let her in. He then shut the door behind her.

"You should probably start with a fucking apology first," Lucas snapped.

Peyton just rolled her eyes. "And here I thought you had nothing to say to me," she said sarcastically. "I think you are the one who owes me an apology."

Lucas gave her a confused look. "What the hell are you talking about?" he exclaimed angrily. He couldn't believe that she just got in the door and was already causing trouble.

Peyton glared at him. "I'm talking about the promise that you made me when we got married." Lucas was still confused. She looked at him annoyed as she said, "You promised me that we would take things slow."

Lucas then realized what she was talking about. "Wait, you think that I got you pregnant on purpose?" He couldn't believe that she just accused him of that. He thought she knew that Maddie wasn't planned.

"Well, you _were_ the one who wanted children right away," Peyton pointed out.

"So you decided to grant my wish before you left to chase your dreams without me?" Lucas asked her. He just shook his head in disgust. He was really getting angry with her now. "I was your husband! We were supposed to be in this together, remember? But you left me to be a single parent!" he exclaimed. Peyton didn't have a chance to say anything as he continued. "I don't care why you're back! Just stay the hell away from me, my family and_ my_ daughter! And that includes Brooke too!"

"She's _our_ daughter, Lucas," Peyton corrected him. "And you may be able to stop her from seeing me for now, but not for long." Lucas immediately knew what she would say next, but hoped that she wouldn't. "I'm filing for full custody of Maddie."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "You really think a judge will let you take custody of Maddie? After almost five years of being absent and having no contact with me or my family?" He tried not to laugh. "Yeah right. You really don't have a case against me."

Peyton just smirked at him. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," she replied before she left him.

Lucas didn't know what that meant, but he knew that it wasn't good. He decided not to think about it as he headed back upstairs to his office. He knew that he needed a distraction. He thought that packing his books was the perfect thing to do. Of course, he had been working on packing up his office all day. So there weren't many books left to pack. But he knew that he had to sort out his books and see which ones he wanted to give away.

Of course, it was hard for him to even think about giving away his books. He loved books. He was glad to see that that love of reading books carried into Maddie. He loved watching her with her creative imagination to tell little short stories whenever possible.

He then stopped packing and started looking through his books again. He was in no rush to get done. Deb had volunteered to pick up Maddie from preschool and drive her to dance class. He had a feeling that she would feed her dinner as well.

He then heard his stomach grumbling and decided to take another break for supper. He headed downstairs to the kitchen. He started to make some chicken noodle soup on the stove when he heard another knock at the door. He frowned, wondering who it could be. He hoped that it wasn't Peyton again.

He went to the door and opened it. He was happy to see that it was Brooke with a box. They exchanged greetings as he helped her with the box. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought that I would bring some of my stuff over here early. To tell you the truth, most of my stuff is still in boxes anyway. I wasn't sure if the move to Tree Hill would be permanent or not."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. But you shouldn't be carrying boxes in your condition. You should have waited until Saturday afternoon when Nathan, Jake, Keith and I are there to help you out."

"I'm pregnant, not helpless. Besides, it wasn't that heavy," Brooke replied as she noticed how quiet the house was. "Where's Maddie?" she asked him curious. She knew that the little girl would come greet her if she was home.

"She's hanging out with Grandma Deb today," Lucas replied with a warm smile. "Deb volunteered to pick up Maddie from school and take her to dance class. I'm pretty sure that she will take her somewhere for dinner afterwards too. So it's just me tonight." He then looked at her before he asked, "Do you want to join me? I'm making some soup."

Brooke nodded as she gave him a smile in return. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>As they were finishing up their dinner, they heard the front door open. Maddie ran into the kitchen and immediately went for Brooke when she saw her. She embraced her in a tight hug as Lucas frowned playfully. "Well, I can see who her favorite person is," he said, pretending to be disappointed. Maddie just smiled as she went over to him. She embraced him in a hug as he gave her a kiss. "Hey Princess. How was your day?" he asked her as Deb came into the kitchen.<p>

"Good. That mean old Chuck got to go to time out because he wouldn't quit bothering me and Jenny," Maddie told him happily.

Lucas laughed. "Well, it serves him right for messing with a Scott," he replied. He then turned to Deb. "Thanks for picking her up. Are you staying for awhile?"

Deb smiled. "It's no problem. Unfortunately, I have some things to do. But I'll see you guys back here on Saturday afternoon." Brooke and Lucas nodded as everyone exchanged good-byes as Deb left.

Lucas then turned back to Maddie. "Ok, it's time for you to get ready for bed. Say good-night to Brooke and head upstairs."

Maddie then asked a question that neither of them expected her to ask. "Daddy, can Brooke read to me instead?"

Lucas and Brooke exchanged smiles. Brooke was extremely touched that she wanted her to read to her. Lucas pretended to look thoughtful before saying, "You know, reading to Maddie would give you plenty of practice for when your own baby comes."

Brooke played along. "Excellent point, Lucas. Maddie, I would love to read to you."

Maddie jumped for joy and hugged Brooke again before dashing out of the room. Lucas gave Brooke a wide smile. "She really adores you, Brooke. You would break her heart if you move back to New York," Lucas told her.

Brooke sighed. "Yeah, I know. As much I love the city, it would be hard to move back after being gone for so long. Besides, Tree Hill is starting to grow on me."

"Even with Julian and Peyton across the street?" Lucas asked curious.

Brooke didn't answer. Instead, she asked a question of her own. "If you don't mind me asking, what is with the rivalry between you and Peyton?" she asked him. She had been wanting to know the answer for days, but nobody would give her a straight answer.

Before Lucas could answer, they heard Maddie calling. After getting a glass of water, he led Brooke upstairs and down the hall to Maddie's bedroom. Lucas wasn't surprised when he saw Maddie all ready to be read to with the book in her arms. Lucas gestured Brooke to go in first. They exchanged smiles as Brooke walked into the bedroom with Lucas right behind her.

Lucas put the glass of water down on the nightstand and plugged in the nightlight before turning back to Maddie. He went over to her and gave her a kiss. "Good night, Princess. I love you."

"Good night, Daddy. I love you too," Maddie replied as Lucas headed out of the room.

However, he stopped in the doorway and watched as Brooke sat down on the bed. "Well, who's this?" she asked Maddie, noticing Lucy besides her.

"Lucy, Aunt Lily got her for me," Maddie replied. "I thought about naming her after Aunt Lily, but there would be too much confusion."

Brooke laughed. She then changed the subject. "So what am I reading you tonight?"

"_Cinderella_, she's my favorite princess," Maddie replied. Brooke just gave her a smile as she took the book and opened it. As she started reading to her, Lucas just watched the scene fondly. The few minutes passed too quickly and Brooke soon closed the book. She gently hugged Maddie before tiptoeing out of the room. She quietly closed the door and followed Lucas down the stairs back into the kitchen.

"I think you are going to be a great mom," Lucas told Brooke honestly.

Brooke smiled. "Really?"

"Well, you certainly passed bedtime reading with flying colors," Lucas pointed out. "And I know that not all parenting duties are as easy as that task. But that's part of the experience of being a parent." There was a short pause. "You know, you never did really tell me what happened when you told Julian about the baby."

Brooke was quiet for a few moments before she spoke. "Actually, he thinks the baby is yours." Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. Brooke shook her head in disgust. "Yeah, so he's denying responsibility. It makes me wonder if he ever wanted children in the first place."

"I thought the same thing when Peyton left me," Lucas replied.

Brooke turned to him. "Are you talking about Peyton Sawyer?" Lucas nodded. "_She_ is Maddie's mom?" she asked shocked. She couldn't believe that that bitch was that sweet little girl's mother.

"You didn't know?" Lucas asked her surprised. He thought she would have found out by now.

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. Everything made sense now. "No wonder Haley banned her from the café. And Peyton wanted me to stay out of her business with you and your family."

"I didn't know that she was your ex-husband's new girlfriend until that day I tried to beat him up," Lucas told her.

"Do you know why she has returned to Tree Hill?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas didn't answer for a few moments. "Julian may not be ready to claim responsibility as a parent, but Peyton is. She's filing for full custody of Maddie."

Brooke dropped her mouth in shock. "Can she do that?" She didn't even let him answer as she pulled out her cell-phone from her purse. She dialed a number that she never thought she would call. Lucas gave her a confused look, but she didn't let him say anything as she put the phone to her ear and waited for the person on the other end to pick up. Finally, she heard her mother's voice. She didn't even let her mother finish speaking before she spoke. "Mom, it's Brooke. I need your help."


	9. Friend or Foe?

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer: **Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

** Friend or Foe?**

On Saturday morning, Lucas made breakfast for him and Maddie before sending her upstairs to get ready for the day, more specifically Moving Day. She was extremely excited to have Brooke move in with them and couldn't wait to show her the ropes.

He then started cleaning up the dirty dishes when he heard the front door open. He didn't even turn to see who it was as the footsteps came closer. He wasn't surprised that his mother or Keith would come to talk to him eventually since he had skipped work again yesterday. Brooke had been kind enough to cover for him. She had also kept her promise not to tell anyone about Peyton filing for custody, until he was ready to tell his family.

When the footsteps arrived, he was prepared for a lecture. However, he was surprised when it was Haley he heard and not his mom or Keith. He didn't think that she would come by until later.

"I take it that the meeting between you and Peyton didn't go well the other day?" Haley asked him softly. He heard the concern in her voice as she spoke. However, Lucas didn't answer as she continued. "I heard that you decided to skip work again, but didn't tell your parents why. I knew that it had to do something with Peyton. So I decided to check up on you before everyone else came. I was planning to come over last night, but it didn't look like you were home."

"Yeah, I spent the whole day with Maddie. We didn't get back until really late," Lucas replied quietly.

Haley looked at him hard before it dawned on her. "Peyton filed for custody of Maddie, didn't she?" When Lucas didn't answer, she knew the truth and her anger towards Peyton grew. "I knew that the café was just a distraction to get you off the real trail." She then gave him a confused look. "Why are you so worried then? It's not like she can get custody of her, right?"

Lucas didn't answer for a few moments. Haley knew that bad news was coming, but she didn't know what it was. She waited anxiously for him to answer. "She claims that she has a case against me. So I'm getting the best family court lawyer in New York to make sure that I continue to have full custody of Maddie, Victoria Davis."

Haley was shocked. She couldn't believe her ears. "I don't think that hiring Mrs. Davis is a good idea. In case you didn't know, she is Brooke's mother. And they aren't speaking to each other right now."

"Actually, it was Brooke's idea," Lucas replied as Haley gave him another confused look. "She stopped by the other day after you and Peyton both left. Did you know that she didn't know that Peyton was my ex-wife?"

"I didn't think it was right for me to tell her," Haley told him. "Besides, I thought it was enough knowing that Peyton was banned from our café."

Lucas knew that she had a point and he was glad that she respected his privacy. "Well, I told her about Peyton's threat right before she called her mother. She told her about my situation and wondered if she would take my case. Victoria is willing to do it, but she wants to meet with me first. We have a lunch date this afternoon in Wilmington," he explained.

Haley was surprised. "How does Brooke feel about it?" she asked.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her since Thursday night. So you should ask her today." There was a short pause and Lucas then took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone about this except Nathan. Don't tell Mom and Keith. I don't want them to worry. They are already stressing out about the café. I don't want to put this on them too." Haley was about to protest when Lucas gave her a pleading look.

Haley sighed. "Ok, I won't tell them for now." Lucas smiled at her gratefully. "Now is there anything that I can do for you?"

Before Lucas could answer, Maddie ran into the kitchen. She embraced her aunt in a hug and gave her a wide smile. "Hi, Aunt Haley."

Haley smiled in return. "Hey Maddie. Are you excited about Brooke moving in today?" Maddie nodded eagerly and Haley laughed softly at her obvious excitement as she said, "I bet you are."

Lucas then knew it was time to have a talk with his daughter. He bent down to her level before he spoke. "Maddie, you know that things are going to be a little different with Brooke living with us now, right?" Maddie nodded understandingly. "You are going to have to give Brooke her space when she wants it. Because sometimes, having a baby makes the mommy tired and grouchy. You are going to have to be patient with her when she has those moods. And she's not going to be used to our way of doing things."

Maddie knew exactly what he meant. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll help her out."

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "That's my girl," he said as he gave her a kiss. "Now why don't you go next door and see if Jenny is ready to play?" he suggested. Maddie nodded as she embraced him a hug. Lucas savored the hug and couldn't help but wonder how much longer he would have to do this. They then exchanged good-byes before Maddie dashed out of the kitchen. He then asked, "Do you happen to know if Brooke's having a boy or girl? Because if you do, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if she could have Jamie's baby stuff?"

Haley raised her eyebrows in surprise as she heard his request. "Lucas, how long exactly are you planning to let her stay here? I mean I think it's nice that you're turning your office into a nursery, but do you really think she will stay that long?"

Lucas shrugged. "Even if she doesn't, there will always be a room for her baby to stay in if she needs a night away from motherhood or if she goes away for the weekend and can't take the baby with her." Haley knew that he had a point. There was a short pause before he added, "Or my niece or nephew."

"Nathan and I are working on that," Haley replied with a smile. Lucas chuckled softly in response.

A few hours later, Brooke was all moved in and the whole gang decided to celebrate at the café. Lucas stayed for a little bit before he knew that he had to get going. He gently pulled Brooke and Haley away from the group and into a corner of the room. "I'm leaving now," he told them before he turned to Brooke. "Any last minute things I should know about your mother?"

"Whose mommy?" asked a small voice.

The three were surprised to see Maddie standing right by them since she had been playing with Jenny just moments ago. Lucas then noticed that his mother and Deb were looking directly at him with curious looks on their faces. He then realized that they had sent Maddie over to see what's going on with him. He knew that it was time to tell them.

He walked over to them as he heard Brooke telling Maddie the answer. He let out a sigh before speaking. "Mom, I didn't want to tell you and Keith this. But you might as well know that Peyton is filing for custody of Maddie." Karen gasped in surprise. "And she claims that she has a case against me. So I'm getting a lawyer, who just happens to be Brooke's mother. And I'm supposed to leave now to meet her for lunch."

Karen nodded understandingly as she said, "Then go. Don't worry about Maddie."

Lucas smiled gratefully before he went back over to Haley, Brooke and Maddie. He bent down to Maddie's level before he spoke. "Daddy has to go in the city for a few hours. So you are going to stay here for awhile."

"Can't I come with you?" Maddie asked as she gave him a hopeful look.

"You don't want to stay here with your favorite pal?" Brooke asked her, pretending to be hurt. "We'll have lots of fun."

Maddie shook her head. "I want to meet your mommy," she protested. "And you should come with us."

"I think it's a great idea," Haley said as Brooke gave her a look. "If your mom is going to help Lucas out, she might as well meet Maddie too." Lucas knew that she had a point. "So Brooke can take Maddie somewhere to play while you and Victoria talk. Then she can meet Maddie afterwards."

Lucas had to agree. "That sounds like a plan," he replied as he looked at Brooke. "Now we should really get going."

Brooke stopped her friends right there. "Wait a minute, who said I was going? I'm not going," she protested, not sounding happy at all.

"Why not? Don't you want to see her?" Maddie asked with a puzzled frown.

Brooke gave her a gentle smile as she softly said, "My mom and I don't get along."

"I'll go then," Haley offered. "I'm dying to meet her."

A familiar voice spoke up. "I don't think that's necessary. I'll go along for the ride. Besides, I haven't spent much time with my son or my granddaughter alone since I got back. So I'll go and keep an eye on Maddie while you talk with Mrs. Davis. You go now and we'll leave in a little bit," Karen told Lucas.

Brooke smiled gratefully at Karen as Lucas started to say good-bye to everyone. He then left the café as Haley gave Brooke a curious look. "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to see my mother again. Her first unexpected visit was enough for me for now. I just hope that she's not using Lucas to make an excuse to get closer to me."

"I'm sure she isn't," Karen replied gently.

"You can be the judge when you meet her later," Brooke told her.

* * *

><p>Lucas soon arrived at the restaurant and parked the car in an empty parking space. He then walked in and over to the hostess at the podium. "Excuse me, I have a reservation with a Mrs. Victoria Davis," he told her.<p>

The hostess looked at the schedule book. She gave Lucas a smile. "Mrs. Davis has been waiting for you, Mr. Scott. Follow me," she said before she led him through the room. He started to get nervous as the hostess led him to a private table.

A woman stood up as she gave him a smile. "Hello, you must be Lucas Scott. I'm Victoria Davis," she said as she extended out her hand. Lucas shook it before she gestured him to sit down. He smiled in return as he did. He was then handed a menu before the hostess left them alone.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule and flying down to meet me, Mrs. Davis," Lucas said, doing his best to sound business-like. He hoped that he didn't sound as nervous as he felt. He hoped that he was doing the right thing here. He then realized that he was. He didn't want to lose Maddie. He just wasn't sure about Victoria. But even though Brooke had told him horror stories about her, he was willing to give her a chance.

"Please call me Victoria. And it's the least I can do," Victoria replied. "After all, you and your family have been treating my daughter like a person instead of a charity case. I appreciate that. She needs all the love and support she can get during this difficult time." She then stopped herself. "I'm sorry. This lunch is about you, not Brooke." She then quickly changed the subject. "Now what do I need to know?"

"It's a long story," Lucas told her.

"We have plenty of time," Victoria replied as a waiter came to take their orders. After they told him their orders, Victoria turned back to Lucas. "Look, I understand that you want to keep your life private, but I can't help you if I don't know about your relationship with Ms. Sawyer."

Lucas knew that she had a point. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Well, Peyton and I both grew up in Tree Hill. However, we didn't really talk to each other until freshmen year of college." Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "She was bit of a loner in high school. But once we met, she really opened up to me. However, my family didn't feel the same way as I did."

"Really?" Victoria asked him interested. "Why's that?"

Lucas knew that she was thinking of her own relationship with Brooke. "For some reason, they didn't trust her."

"I'm sure they had a good reason not to," Victoria replied.

Lucas sighed. "I know, but I could never understand why." He then changed the subject. "Anyway, it wasn't long before we were dating. But it took awhile before I got my parents' blessing to marry her. We got married during our junior year. After a few arguments, we agreed to not to have children for a few years. But then in our senior year, Peyton unexpectedly got pregnant with Maddie. She seemed okay with it at first, but it wasn't long before she was struggling to keep up with her classes. She almost didn't graduate. Luckily, she did right before Maddie was born."

"Then what happened?" Victoria asked curious.

"Well, she seemed like she was dedicated to taking care of Maddie. I thought that everything was going well. I didn't even see it coming when she left." He then let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't believe that she thinks that she can just take Maddie like this."

"Don't worry, Lucas. I will do everything in my power to make sure that she doesn't," Victoria replied. "I promise."

Lucas smiled gratefully. He was glad that the meeting was going so well. He would have thought that they wouldn't get along. He then changed the subject. "I hope you don't mind, but my daughter Maddie wants to meet you." Victoria looked at him surprised. "Yeah, I know it's crazy, but she loves meeting new people. And if I haven't convinced you to take my case by now, I know Maddie definitely will."

Victoria gave him a smile as she said, "Well, I'd love to meet her."

After they ate their lunch, Victoria followed Lucas in a cab to a bookstore. Maddie had suggested it since she wanted to look at books. Lucas had a feeling that she would want to buy some books in the process. She always did when they went to a bookstore.

When they arrived, they immediately went to the children's corner where Lucas was sure that Karen and Maddie were. Sure enough, they were glancing through the books. Maddie gave them a wide smile and ran over to them when she spotted Lucas. She embraced him in a hug before turning to Victoria. Lucas waited until Karen caught up with them before doing the introductions. "Victoria, I'd like you to meet my daughter Maddie and my mother Karen. This is Victoria Davis, Brooke's mother."

Victoria and Karen shook hands before Victoria turned to Maddie. She gave her a smile. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Maddie smiled in return. "It's nice to meet you too," she replied politely. She then turned back to Lucas with excited eyes. "Daddy, I found a book for Brooke to read to her baby. Can we get it for the nursery, please?" she asked him anxiously. "I won't show it to Brooke until the nursery's ready. I promise."

Lucas couldn't argue with that. "Alright," he replied as Victoria gave him a confused look. He waited until Karen and Maddie had left them to go and get the book before he spoke. "Brooke has moved in with me and Maddie and we're turning my office into a nursery for her baby as a surprise for her."

"That's so thoughtful of you," Victoria replied. "No wonder she didn't want me to stick around. I guess she didn't want me to find out about your relationship."

Lucas laughed as he explained, "No, we're not dating, not even close. She just needs a place to stay for awhile. And I have plenty of room."

Victoria was surprised at the revelation. "I see." She then quickly changed the subject. She smiled as she watched Maddie. "It sounds like Maddie really likes Brooke."

Lucas smiled in return. "She adores her. And Brooke is pretty fond of her herself."

"I don't blame her. She seems like a great kid," Victoria replied. She then saw the worried look on Lucas's face as he watched his daughter. She knew what he was thinking. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything. It will all be okay. Trust me."

* * *

><p>Brooke was waiting in the house anxiously for Lucas and Maddie to come back. She hoped that the lunch meeting had gone well. She would have gone with Lucas, but she didn't want to see her mother again so soon. She then started to think that it was a crazy idea to bring her mother in all this in the first place. But she was the first person that she thought of when she had heard about Peyton's threat. She knew that Victoria would help if she could.<p>

She still couldn't believe that Peyton was Maddie's mother. She had wanted to go to the Tree Hill café and confront Peyton. But she knew that she would just have made matters worse considering the end result of Lucas punching Julian. So she knew that she couldn't be dropping by that café anytime soon.

She then heard the front door open and turned around to see Lucas and Maddie. She gave them a smile as Maddie ran over to her and embraced her in a hug. "Hey, how's my favorite sidekick?" she asked her happily. "My mom didn't scare you, did she?"

Maddie shook her head. "I like your mommy," she replied.

Brooke pretended to be shocked. "You mean she fell for that irresistible Maddie charm?" she asked her. Maddie nodded, playing along. "Shame on you," Brooke said, pretending to scold her. "You can't use your special powers on everyone."

"Why not?" Maddie asked as she tried not to giggle.

"Because it's not fun that way. You should only use that charm on the good guys, ok?" Brooke told her.

Maddie nodded animatedly as she said, "I promise if you do something for me."

Brooke looked at her curiously. "What's that?"

"Make up with your mommy, please," Maddie begged her as she looked at her with wide eyes. "She isn't the bad guy."

"I would have to agree with her. You should give your mom a second chance. She really does seem to regret how she had treated you all these years. She wants to help you out with the baby now," Lucas added.

Brooke sighed and frowned slightly as she said, "I don't know if I can."

"It's easy. All you have to do is say you're both sorry, hug and make-up," Maddie told her with a pleading look in her eyes. "Don't you?"

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "Alright, I promise that I'll talk to her again." She didn't have a chance to say anything else as Maddie embraced her in another hug.

After a moment or two, she pulled away and Lucas then knew it was time to talk with Brooke alone. He could see that she was still doubtful. "Why don't you go play with Lucy now?" he suggested. Maddie nodded before she left the kitchen.

Brooke waited until she could hear Maddie on the stairs before speaking. "Tell me the truth. My mother was terrible, wasn't she?" Brooke asked him. She let out a sigh before she continued speaking. "I knew I shouldn't have let you go alone. But I didn't want her to criticize me in front of you. Or judge you before even getting to know you. Those are her two worst qualities."

Lucas stopped her right there. "She wasn't anything like that. She was actually pretty nice," he assured her.

Brooke looked at him flabbergasted. "Wait, Victoria was _nice_? Are you sure you're talking about _my_ mother?" Lucas nodded and Brooke's surprise grew. "No rude comments? Or worse, did she try to make the lunch all about me instead of you?"

"Actually, she tried to avoid that," Lucas told her.

Brooke was now beyond surprised. "Wow, maybe she _has_ changed."

"There's only one way to find out," Lucas replied. "You can go now if you want. She's still at her hotel in Wilmington. Your mom doesn't leave until tomorrow evening."

"Actually, I'm going to stay here and rest. I'm feeling tired. I think my pregnancy hormones have been acting up," Brooke replied. Normally, that would be an excuse. However, she really did feel exhausted. "And you really can't celebrate without me."

Lucas knew she had a point. "Well, you should go and rest then in your new bedroom."

"I can't thank you enough for taking me and my baby in," Brooke said gratefully as she touched her stomach. "I don't know how I would be able to do it otherwise."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure you would have found a way. You're stronger than you think," he replied.

Brooke smiled gratefully. "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Lucas nodded. He then grinned as he said, "Take your time. I know how important it is to give you pregnant women rest."

Brooke laughed. "Yeah, it's never good to mess with a pregnant woman." She then walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Once she arrived at the top of the stairs, she headed down the hall towards her new bedroom when she heard Maddie's voice. She peeked into the bedroom where Maddie was and saw that she was having a little tea party with Lucy and her stuffed animals.

As Brooke watched her, she soon realized why Maddie wanted her to make up with Victoria. She didn't want her to lose her mother like she did. She then knew that she couldn't let Peyton do this to Lucas or Maddie. They didn't deserve it. She had avoided a confrontation. After coming to this revelation, she knew that she couldn't keep her mouth shut about it. She had to talk to Peyton.


	10. The Wrath of Brooke

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

** The Wrath of Brooke**

Brooke stared at the ceiling as she tried to get to sleep. However, she had too much on her mind and finally decided to give up. She pushed the covers off herself and climbed out of the bed. She then quietly opened the door and walked out into the hall. There was silence from downstairs, indicating that both Lucas and Maddie were obviously asleep in their bedrooms. She then quietly walked down the stairs before heading into the kitchen.

She turned on the light before she checked the clock on the wall. She then saw that it was nearly one o'clock. She opened the fridge and pulled out the water pitcher and placed it onto the counter before pulling out a glass from the cupboard.

She was about to pour the water when she heard a familiar voice. "You couldn't sleep either?" Lucas asked her, causing her to jump and almost drop the pitcher. She turned around to face him as she caught her breath. Lucas looked at her apologetically as he said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just in the basement and saw the light on. I couldn't help but wonder who was here."

Brooke let a huge sigh. "I can't stop thinking about Peyton," she replied. "I can't believe that I never made the connection between your family and her."

"Well, I didn't know that she was the same woman that you were talking about either," Lucas said.

"When did you find out that she was?" Brooke asked him curious.

Lucas gave her a smile as he said, "It was right after I punched Julian. She came out to help him and that's when I saw her."

Brooke smiled in return. "Don't tell anybody I told you this, but Julian deserved that punch. His attitude drives me crazy sometimes."

Lucas couldn't argue with that. "Yeah, I can see why." He then changed the subject. "Listen, I don't have very many rules here. But one of them is no swearing around my daughter. I know your hormones are out of whack, but that's no excuse."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "I promise that I will keep the swearing to a minimum. But you won't kick me out if I forget, will you?" she joked.

"Well, I'll let you off with a warning for the first time. But you might have to beg if you are caught a third time," Lucas joked back.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty good at keeping those words to myself," Brooke said as she smiled again. "Is there anything else you don't want me to do around Maddie?" Before he could answer, Brooke went on. "I don't smoke or do drugs. And I don't drink alcohol much anymore. Of course, it doesn't matter since I'm pregnant. But if I do, I will make sure that I'm not the one driving myself or Maddie anywhere."

"I appreciate that," Lucas replied. He then got serious. "There is actually one thing I won't tolerate in my house." Brooke looked at him, ready to listen. "I want you to promise me that you will never abuse Maddie, Jamie or even Jenny in any way."

"I promise," Brooke told him sincerely and he could tell that she meant it. She then changed the subject. "I don't mean to pry, but what have you been doing to your office? I couldn't help but notice that you've been moving boxes out of there."

Lucas wanted to lie, but he knew that it was the best time to tell her the truth. "It's a surprise for you," he replied. Brooke looked at him surprised, but touched. "But I'm not going to tell you what it is. You're just going to have to wait until it's completed."

"Can't you give me a hint?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas laughed. "No, but I'm sure that you are going to love it."

"What about a peek?" Brooke asked.

"I would, but then the surprise will be spoiled," Lucas replied. Brooke was disappointed. "Besides, Maddie wants to be there when we do show it to you. So you're just going to have to wait and see what it is. My surprise should be done in a couple of days."

"I can't wait to find out what your surprise is," Brooke said as she suddenly felt a pain in her stomach. She groaned as she grabbed her abdomen.

"Are you alright?" Lucas asked her concerned.

Brooke nodded as she rubbed her belly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a stomach cramp."

Lucas frowned, not entirely convinced by her reply. "Are you sure?" he asked her. Brooke nodded. "I would like to take you to the hospital, just to be safe. I'll get Nathan or Haley over here to watch Maddie." Brooke was about to protest, but Lucas didn't let her get a word in. "I'll be right back."

Brooke then stopped him. "Lucas, you don't have to do that. It's probably just too much dessert from the celebration earlier. I'm sure my stomach will settle down after I go to the bathroom." Lucas still wasn't convinced. She gave him a reassuring smile as she said, "I'm ok. I promise."

Lucas sighed. He knew that she wasn't backing down and he finally gave in. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me." Brooke nodded gratefully as she headed towards the bathroom. His gut told him that there was something wrong. However, he ignored the feeling as he headed upstairs to bed.

The next morning, Lucas was busy making breakfast for him and Maddie when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Lucas and Maddie exchanged good mornings with Brooke as she came into the room. "How are you feeling this morning?" Lucas asked her with concern in his voice.

Brooke gave him a small smile. "I'm feeling a little bit better. Thank you," she replied.

"Can I make you anything?" Lucas offered.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm actually going to grab a banana and head to the shower. I have a few errands to run. And I want to start right away."

"Can I come?" Maddie asked eagerly.

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "Not this time," she replied. She could see that Maddie was disappointed and she knew exactly how to cheer her up. "But once I get back, we'll spend the whole day together."

"Promise?" Maddie asked as she smiled widely.

Brooke nodded. "I promise," she replied before Maddie embraced her in a tight hug.

After eating breakfast, Brooke took a quick shower before saying good-bye to Lucas and Maddie. She then walked out of the house before heading to her car. She let out a sigh. She hated lying to Lucas and Maddie, but it was necessary for the time being.

After she ran her first errand, she drove to the Tree Hill Café. She knew that it was open since Karen's Café wasn't. She found a parking space in front of the café before she climbed out of the car. She then marched in and looked around for Peyton. However, she didn't see her, so she walked over to a waitress and gave her a fake smile. "Hi, may I speak to Ms. Sawyer?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but Ms. Sawyer is out for the day," the waitress told her.

"Can you give her a message for me?" Brooke asked. She was still pretending to be all happy and smiley, when inside she was full of anger and hurt. The waitress nodded. "Great." Brooke then walked past her and picked up the muffins from the counter. She threw them on the floor. "Bitch!" she exclaimed angrily as she dropped the nice fake act. She continued throwing the food down on the floor as the waitress and customers looked on in shock. She then threw some of the food against the wall, wishing that Peyton was there so that she could throw something at her.

She didn't even notice the stares as she walked back out of the café and to her car. She felt better since she had let her anger out. However, she knew that it wasn't over between her and Peyton, as she still had to talk to her face-to-face. And she knew that the conversation wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

><p>"Daddy, when is Brooke coming back?" Maddie asked Lucas anxiously as she looked up from coloring a picture.<p>

Lucas gave her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. She'll come back soon. She just had to run a few errands."

"How come I couldn't come with her? I always run errands with you," Maddie asked him as she pouted slightly.

"Well, sometimes a mommy or daddy wants some alone time by themselves," Lucas replied. "And running errands is a way to do that. But there will be plenty of other times that you will be able to go with her." They then heard a knock at the front door. Lucas frowned. "I wonder who that could be."

Maddie ran for the door with Lucas right behind her. She pulled the door open to see Victoria standing there. Lucas looked at her surprised as Victoria gave him a smile. They exchanged greetings before he spoke again. "Victoria, I didn't expect to see you today."

"Well, we have a few more things to discuss before I leave this evening," Victoria replied. "May I come in?"

Maddie gave her a smile. "Yes, you may," she replied.

Victoria returned the smile. "Thank you, Madelyn," she said as she walked into the foyer.

"Maddie, why don't you go and see if Jamie or Jenny could play?" Lucas asked Maddie. She nodded before heading out the front door and going next door. He then turned back to Victoria. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" he asked her.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," she replied as she followed him towards the kitchen. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you," Lucas replied as he gestured her to sit down. After they both did, he turned to her. "So what do we need to discuss?"

"Well, yesterday was all about learning about you and your relationship with Ms. Sawyer. Today is all about the actual case," Victoria replied. "Forgive me, but I'm so used to working New York cases that I didn't remember that North Carolina has different rules until after our meeting."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"Well, it looks like I can't take your case right away. You and Ms. Sawyer have to go to mediation first," Victoria replied. Lucas gave her a confused look. "It's where you two try and figure out a custody arrangement. And if that doesn't work, then you will be able to fight your case in court."

"It won't work. Trust me. I'm not going to let Peyton back into my life when she didn't want to be in it in the first place," Lucas replied in a frustrated tone. "And she doesn't deserve to know Maddie." Before Victoria could reply, the back door opened to reveal Brooke. She froze as she saw her mother. At first, neither knew what to say. Lucas decided to speak up first. "Victoria just came over to discuss the case."

Brooke nodded understandingly. Yet, she didn't have a chance to say anything as they heard someone pounding at the front door. "That must be Peyton."

Lucas frowned. "Why Peyton would be knocking on my door like she wants to break it down?" he asked her as the pounding continued. He didn't let her answer as he went to the front door and answered it.

Peyton glared at him as she stormed into the foyer. "Where the hell is she?" she demanded angrily. "Where the hell is that little tramp? I want to give her a piece of my mind before I decide whether or not I'm pressing charges for trashing my café."

Brooke came into the foyer, glaring right back at her. She scoffed at her. "You have some nerve calling me a tramp after what you did to me and Lucas."

Peyton raised her eyebrows at her. "Well, it's not like I'm the only one who had an affair. Look at you. You and Julian have only just separated and already you're sleeping with another man and having a baby, by my ex-husband no less."

"You just want to believe that so you don't have to worry about being an evil stepmother to my child," Brooke replied angrily. "Of course, you're already an expert at being a terrible mother. So this should have been easy as pie for you."

Lucas knew that the conversation would go too far if it continued. Victoria had the same feeling. She came into the foyer and walked over to Peyton. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Victoria Davis, Brooke's mother and Lucas's lawyer." She then corrected herself. "Well, I will be if the custody case has to go to court."

Peyton just smirked nastily at Lucas. "Well, I'm glad you caught onto the game."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"I've also hired a close friend to help me win the case," Peyton replied. There was a short pause for dramatic effect. "So when mediation fails, Dan Scott will be my lawyer."

Brooke gaped at her. Lucas looked at her shocked as he glared at her. He couldn't believe his ears. He finally spoke. "With a lawyer like him, you'll never win."

"How would you know? You haven't talked to him in years," Peyton pointed out. She was about to leave when she turned around for a second. "By the way, I'm pressing charges for destruction of property and vandalism," she told them before she walked out the door.

Lucas was about to protest when Brooke spoke up. "Let that little leech do it. I don't care. I'm leaving anyway." Lucas looked at her surprised. He was about to respond when she headed up the stairs. He quickly followed her into her room.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Lucas asked her in a shocked tone. He wondered how many more surprises he would be getting in the same day.

Brooke went to the closet and pulled out her suitcase. She put it onto her bed before going over to the dresser. She started taking out her clothes as she spoke. "I'm starting over in a new state, away from New York and North Carolina. There are too many memories from both places that I don't think I can live in either one."

Lucas gave her a confused look. "But why? I don't understand."

Brooke sighed. "Lucas, I appreciate you looking after me and my baby especially when you have Maddie to take care of. But I can't handle it anymore."

There was suddenly a knock at the open door. "Lucas, may I speak with Brooke alone for a few moments?" she asked. Lucas nodded as he left the bedroom. She then shut the door before she turned to her daughter. "Brooke Penelope Davis, what do you think you are doing?"

Brooke gave her a look. "Don't give me a lecture, Mother. I'm not in the mood for one."

"I wasn't going to," Victoria replied. "I'm just trying to understand the reason why my daughter is running away from her problems again."

"What makes you think I have problems?" Brooke asked her. "Maybe I just want to get away from my estranged husband and his girlfriend."

"Because you wouldn't be packing up your clothes if you weren't," Victoria replied. Brooke hated to admit it, but she was right. She didn't say anything as Victoria continued on. "Look, I'm sorry that I pushed you so hard. I really did just want what was best for you."

Brooke raised her eyebrows as she asked, "Best for me or best for the Davis reputation?"

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't the one who cared about the Davis reputation. Your father was," Victoria replied. "After all, it is his good name, not mine. I may have been married to him, but I certainly wasn't happy about it. I only married him because my parents wanted me to." There was a short pause as she added, "All I wanted was for you to be happy."

"If that was true, then why did you try to stop me from marrying Julian?" Brooke asked her.

"Because I didn't think that you would be happy with him," Victoria replied honestly. "I didn't trust him. But I knew that I had to let you find out for yourself. After all, you were eighteen. I couldn't tell you what to do anymore, just like I can't do it now. You're old enough to make decisions for yourself and your baby." Brooke remained quiet as her mother continued. "And if you want to leave Tree Hill, that's your decision. Just make sure that you're doing it for the right reasons."

She was about to leave when she heard her name. She turned around and looked at Brooke. "Both Lucas and Maddie told me that I should give you a second chance. I didn't want to, but I promised Maddie that I would. So I'm going to do it. Please don't let me down."

Victoria gave her daughter a smile. "I promise that I won't."

By the time lunchtime came, Victoria had left and Maddie had returned from playing with Jenny. After lunch, Brooke was preoccupied with playing with Maddie. Lucas was relieved since he wasn't in the mood to talk to her right then. Yet, he was glad that she didn't leave right away.

The afternoon flew by fast and it was soon dinnertime. After the three ate their supper together, Maddie went to watch cartoons in the other room. Lucas turned on the faucet over the kitchen sink and started rinsing the dirty dishes as Brooke brought them to him. There was silence for a few moments before Brooke finally spoke. "Lucas, I'm sorry that I surprised you like that, but I have to leave."

"Why? Because of Peyton and Julian?" Lucas asked her. "I have issues with them too, but you don't see me running. You can't run away from your problems, Brooke. Otherwise, they will never get resolved."

Brooke sighed. "I know, but it's more complicated than that."

"What is more complicated than relationships?" Lucas asked.

Before Brooke could answer, they heard someone knocking on the door. Maddie ran to answer it. Brooke and Lucas were right behind her. Maddie pulled the door open to reveal a police officer. Brooke knew she was in trouble even before the officer started speaking. "Brooke Davis, you're under arrest for destruction of property and vandalism."


	11. Broken Hearted Girl

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie Scott

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

** Broken-Hearted Girl**

The next morning, Lucas drove to the café early to make sure that Julian and Peyton hadn't done anything to the café in revenge. He was relieved to see that everything was in place. He even checked the cash register to make sure that nobody had taken money out of it. However, he was curious to see just how much damage Brooke had done to the rival café. He decided to walk across the street and check the place out.

Just as he was about to leave the café, he heard someone enter the building. He turned around and saw his mother. She gave him a smile. "Well, this is a surprise. I wouldn't have thought you would decide to show up, but I'm glad you're here." She then frowned as she looked at her son's worried face. "What's wrong? You look exhausted."

Lucas let out a sigh before answering. "If Peyton and I don't work out a custody arrangement in mediation, then she will be hiring Dan as her lawyer."

Karen was shocked. "What?" she asked.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, Brooke spent the night in jail after trashing Peyton's café yesterday," Lucas told her. Karen was flabbergasted. "Haley is supposed to go over there this morning and bail her out."

"How bad is the café?" Karen asked him.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. But if we don't do something, then Brooke will stay in jail. And she has enough problems without adding that to her list."

Karen knew that was true. She then tried to calm her son down. "Don't worry, Lucas. We'll figure something out."

"I hope so. Maddie is pretty upset. It took me hours to get her to calm down last night. Now, she's afraid that she is going to go to jail if she throws a fit," Lucas told her. Karen couldn't help but smile. Lucas gave her a look in response. "Mom, this is serious."

Karen quickly apologized. "I know. You're right. I'm sorry." She then looked at her son. She could tell that he was worried. She thought for a moment before speaking again. "You know what you need? You need a little vacation, all three of you. Why don't you take that trip to New York City?"

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. After all, Brooke isn't exactly in a good mood right now," Lucas replied.

"I think it's the best time. I'll even pay for the trip," Karen told him. "You just tell me the weekend and I'll order the tickets."

Lucas gave his mother a grateful smile. "Mom, you don't have to do that."

Karen smiled in return. "I insist. It's the least I can do for my favorite granddaughter," she replied. Lucas was about to protest when his mother stopped him. "Don't argue with me. After all, I'm your mother. I know what's best for my son and granddaughter."

Lucas couldn't help but smile at that. "I suppose so. And I know Maddie will love the surprise. I just hope Brooke does."

"What exactly happened with Brooke yesterday?" Karen asked him curious.

"I don't know. All I know is that she was going to go and run some errands. And when she came back, Peyton arrived shortly after that and yelled at her for trashing her café. I'm surprised that Julian wasn't with her." There was a short pause before he said, "Maybe I could talk to Peyton in getting the charges dropped. It worked with Julian."

"A punch is different than destroying a café," Karen pointed out.

"I don't see how. Both Brooke and I were just expressing our anger at the people we hate," Lucas replied.

"Yes, but either way won't solve the problem. It will only make it worse and you know that," Karen told him. "And I'm sure that you don't want to teach Jamie or Maddie that it is the right way to settle things."

Lucas shook his head. "No, I don't especially since I don't allow that kind of problem-solving in my house." There was another short pause. "I still think that I should talk to Peyton and see if I could get the charges dropped against Brooke."

"Why don't we focus on Brooke first and worry about Peyton later?" Karen told him. "I have a feeling that she will need all the help she can get."

* * *

><p>Haley looked at the time as she waited anxiously for Brooke to come out. She finally spotted her and gave her a smile. However, Brooke didn't say anything or smile back as she went past her and out the door.<p>

Haley frowned as she followed her out to the parking lot. "Brooke, is something wrong?" she asked her confused.

Brooke suddenly stopped and turned around to face Haley. "Look, you and the Scott family can stop treating me like I'm helpless," she said in a not so pleasant tone. Haley was taken back as she hadn't expected that from Brooke. "I know you talked to Lucas about offering me a job at the café." Haley was about to respond when Brooke continued. "And I didn't need you or anybody else to bail me out of jail. I could have done it myself you know."

Haley looked at her friend shocked. She had never seen her friend act so rude before. "Ok, what the hell is going on with you?" she demanded.

"I'm surrounded by people who are helping me out of pity," Brooke told her. Haley was stunned by her comment. "Well, guess what? I don't need any of you. Thanks for the ride, but I think I'll walk."

She started to head across the parking lot as her friend looked at her hard. She then knew the horrible reason why Brooke had suddenly changed her attitude. "You lost your baby, didn't you?" Haley asked her as she followed her.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Brooke replied, avoiding the question. "Now if you don't mind, I would rather be alone."

"At least let me drive you home," Haley offered.

Brooke didn't say anything before she finally agreed. Haley was relieved. However, the ride home was quiet. Brooke didn't say a word and Haley didn't want to push it. But she was worried about her friend.

After dropping Brooke off at the house, Haley headed to the café. It wasn't long before she arrived in front of the café. She parked the car before getting out and heading inside. Lucas frowned when he saw that she was alone. "Where's Brooke?" he asked her anxiously. "Is she ok?"

"No, she's not," Haley replied. Lucas was about to respond when she continued. "I really don't think it's a good idea to show Brooke the nursery right now."

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

Haley didn't answer for a few moments. "How was she feeling yesterday?" she asked.

Lucas shrugged as he wondered what Haley was getting at. "She was moody, but that was it."

"What about the night before? After everyone had left?" Haley asked him as Karen looked at her worriedly as she started to realize what had happened to Brooke.

However, Lucas was still clueless. He had to think for only a moment before answering. "Well, she had some stomach cramps the other night. But she thought it was because all of the food from the party." He looked at Haley hard. "Why do you ask?"

Haley didn't answer for a few moments. "Because I think Brooke had a miscarriage."

Lucas looked at her surprised. "Are you sure?"

Haley nodded. "I'm positive."

* * *

><p>Brooke was busy packing when she heard her cell-phone vibrating from her dresser. She sighed, knowing that it was probably Lucas or Haley. She wasn't in the mood to talk to either one of them. Yet, she also knew that there was a possibility that it wasn't. So she decided to see who it is.<p>

She frowned when she saw that it was Maddie's school. Lucas had told her the number just in case she needed to contact them or vice versa. She put the phone to her ear and spoke into the receiver. "Hello?"

_"Is this Brooke Davis?"_ a woman asked on the other end.

"Yes, it is," Brooke replied.

She then listened as the woman explained that she was the school nurse and Maddie wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home. However, the school was having a hard time contacting Lucas and Deb, who was the second emergency contact. Maddie had mentioned Brooke and had remembered her number. So she thought that she would try her. "_Is it possible that you could come by and take her home?_" the woman asked her.

Brooke didn't even have to think before answering. "Of course. I'll be right there," she replied. She then quickly said good-bye before she hung up the phone. She hurried out of her bedroom and down the stairs. She grabbed her purse and car keys from the kitchen counter before heading out the front door to her car.

She soon arrived at her destination. She pulled up in front of the school before getting out of the car. She walked in and looked around for the nurse's office. Luckily, it was right next door to the principal's office. Brooke stood in the doorway as she looked at Maddie. She felt sorry for the little girl as she saw how pale she was, lying on the cot. However, Maddie managed to give her a small smile when she saw her.

The nurse then noticed Brooke and gave her a smile. "I'm assuming you're Ms. Davis?" she asked.

Brooke nodded as she went over to Maddie. "How are you feeling?" she asked her gently.

"My head hurts," Maddie moaned.

"I know it does. We'll get you home and I'll give you some medicine to help it stop hurting, ok?" Brooke asked her. Maddie could only nod as she helped her up from the cot. She then turned to the nurse. "What do you think it is?"

"Right now, I'm not sure. But it's probably the start of the flu or a cold," the nurse told her. "Let me help you sign her out. Then you can take her home."

A few minutes later, they were in the car and heading back to the house. The ride was quiet since Maddie wasn't feeling well and Brooke had a lot on her mind. When they got home, Brooke immediately sent Maddie to the family room couch. Maddie obediently went. "Let me call your daddy and tell him that you're home," she told her as she reached for her phone. She dialed Lucas's cell-phone number and waited anxiously for him to answer.

Finally, she heard his voice. _"Brooke, is everything ok?"_

"Yeah, the school nurse just called and said that Maddie wasn't feeling well. So I went and picked her up. I hope that was ok. She told me that she had trouble contacting you and Deb."

"_Thank you for picking her up. It's been so busy over here that I didn't have a chance to pick up my phone and check my messages. Is she ok?"_ Lucas asked worriedly.

"She is fine. The nurse thinks it's just the flu coming on," Brooke told him. She then heard Maddie calling her name. "I got to go. Don't worry about Maddie. She's in good hands."

"_I know she is,_" Lucas replied. She could tell from his tone of his voice that he trusted her with his daughter. _"Tell her that I love her and I'll be home for supper."_

"I will," Brooke promised. They then exchanged good-byes before they hung up. She then went to attend to Maddie, who by now was lying on the couch. "Do you want some Tylenol?" she asked her.

"How come you went to jail?" Maddie asked her suddenly. "Daddy says that only bad guys go to jail. You aren't a bad guy."

Brooke smiled at the innocent little girl and shook her head. "No, I'm not. But sometimes, even the good guys break the rules and they have to be punished for it. I did something that I wasn't supposed to even though I knew better." She then looked at Maddie, who was upset. "What's wrong?"

Maddie didn't answer for a few moments. She then quietly asked, "Do I have to go to jail?"

"No, why would you think that?" Brooke asked before realizing the reason. "Just because I went to jail doesn't mean that you will." However, Maddie still wasn't convinced. Brooke tried to think of an example that she would understand. "You know how you go to time out after getting into trouble?" Maddie just nodded. "Well, jail is like time out, only for grow ups especially bad guys. So you don't have to worry about that, ok? I promise." She then decided to change the subject. "Now do you want some Tylenol?"

"Yeah," Maddie replied softly.

As Brooke went to retrieve the medicine, she started to feel guilty that she had been a bad example to Maddie by trashing Peyton's café like that. She didn't want to do that again. She loved the little girl too much to teach her bad habits or cause her to have nightmares. She tried to push the memory out of her mind as she went to the medicine cabinet.

She pulled the small bottle out of the cabinet when she heard a knock at the front door. She walked into the foyer and pulled the door opened. She was a little annoyed when she saw Peyton. She was the last person she wanted a run in with right then. Especially with Maddie being home and sick. "What are you doing here?" Brooke asked her, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I want to give you the good news myself. I decided to drop the charges against you," Peyton told her. Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise. "All I ask in return is that you clean up the mess you made."

"What made you change your mind?" Brooke asked suspiciously. "And is there a catch?"

Peyton knew exactly what she was thinking. "I don't need your help in getting Maddie. After all, Lucas and I have history. You wouldn't believe the dirt I have on him."

"I seriously doubt that since the only dirt on his family is his father," Brooke snapped. "Now if you don't mind, I'm a little busy right now." Peyton was about to protest when she continued. "I'll be at your café tomorrow morning, bright and early." She then shut the front door without another word.

Hours later, Lucas arrived home. It was just him and Brooke for supper since Maddie still wasn't feeling well enough to eat. Brooke was a little relieved that Maddie was upstairs sleeping. She felt more comfortable talking about Peyton if she wasn't around. She could tell Lucas was just as relieved. However, she knew what he wanted to talk to her about.

She didn't really want to discuss it. So she went to talking about her day. Lucas thought that she had handled Peyton well. He didn't want her to see Maddie and was going to do whatever it takes for her not to meet her. He knew that it would bring too much confusion for the little girl especially since he didn't really talk about Peyton as her mother or otherwise.

It was soon time for Lucas to talk. "Brooke, what's going on with you?" he asked her in a concerned tone. "We're all really worried about you."

"What is with everybody? You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine," Brooke said annoyed. However, she knew that she couldn't hide her secret any longer. It was becoming too much to continue keeping it to herself. She turned to face him as she tried to hold her tears in as she spoke. It was an impossible task. "I thought that it was just stomach cramps, but then I went to the doctor yesterday morning and he confirmed it. I lost my baby," she said tearfully. Lucas immediately opened his arms to her revelation and she went into them. He did his best to comfort her as the tears started to fall.


	12. The Trick is to Keep Breathing

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie Scott

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

** The Trick is to Keep Breathing**

A month slowly passed. Brooke gently told her mother and the Scott family that she had lost her baby. They felt sorry for her and were willing to be there if she needed them. Even Victoria was willing to listen if Brooke needed to talk. Brooke appreciated that, but she just wanted her privacy for now. Everyone understood and kept their distance from her so that she could grieve the loss of her baby.

At first, it was hard for Maddie to comprehend what had happened to the baby. So Brooke did her best to use words that would help Maddie understand. Maddie had then asked Lucas a question that he hadn't expected when they were alone. "Does this mean that we can't show Brooke her surprise?" she had asked. Lucas had sadly agreed. Maddie had been upset, but understood.

One early morning, Lucas was making breakfast for himself and Maddie when he heard footsteps. He knew that it had to be Brooke since Maddie was already at the table. He looked up for a moment and saw that he was right. He gave her a warm smile. "Good morning, Brooke. Can I make you anything?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, I think I'm just going to grab a couple of bagels and head to the café," she replied as she managed a smile back. Lucas saw that it didn't reach her eyes. "I want to work as much as I can before I have to pick up Rachel from the airport later."

Even though Brooke wasn't feeling up to it, Rachel had insisted on flying to North Carolina for her best friend's birthday. At least, that is what she claimed. But Brooke knew better. She knew the real reason that she was coming out to visit. She wanted Brooke to move back to New York and be her roommate.

Lucas nodded understandingly. "So you won't be around for lunch, but you will bring Rachel by for dinner?" he asked, wanting to make sure the plans were clear. Brooke nodded this time.

"Brooke, will Rachel like me?" Maddie asked Brooke worriedly.

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "Of course she will. How could she not?" she asked her, making Maddie smile. She then embraced her in a hug. "Have fun at preschool today and I'll see you later, okay?" Maddie nodded. She and Lucas then exchanged good-byes as Brooke headed out the door.

As Lucas and Maddie finished their breakfasts, they heard the front door open and then footsteps walking in the foyer. They knew it was either Jake and Jenny or Haley and Jamie since it was Lucas's turn to do carpool.

Lucas and Maddie turned and saw that it was Haley and Jamie. They exchanged greetings as Maddie and Jamie ran off to play for a little while Lucas and Haley talked. "So how is Brooke doing?" Haley asked Lucas. "I haven't seen her around much."

"Well, she's really been working hard at the café," Lucas replied. "It seems that it's the only thing that she has been doing lately. I'm hoping that she will finally take a break for a few days since her friend Rachel is coming for her birthday."

Haley nodded. "I hope so too. I'm really worried about her."

Lucas had to agree. However, he knew that he had to be patient with Brooke. But he hoped that she would be back to her old self soon. He didn't like seeing her so down and sullen. "Well, I'm sure seeing her friend Rachel will cheer her up. From what it looks like, Rachel is more excited about the visit than Brooke is."

"She's not staying here, is she?" Haley asked him with a slight frown.

Lucas shook his head. "No, she's staying at a hotel in Wilmington." He could tell that Haley was relieved. "Why do you ask?" he asked her curiously.

"From what I heard from Brooke, she is a bit on the wild side," Haley replied. Lucas looked at her curiously. "She loves to drink and party a lot. And she also doesn't like to watch her mouth."

"Well, Brooke told me that she will warn Rachel of the house rules once she gets here," Lucas replied. "I'm sure she will do her best to use her words carefully."

Haley wasn't convinced. "I hope so. Because she's not getting anywhere near Jamie if it's continuous."

Just then, they heard footsteps again and Jamie and Maddie came back into the kitchen. Both adults saw that their children were unhappy. "Daddy, can we go now?" Maddie asked impatiently.

Lucas and Haley laughed. "Why don't you two go and see if Jenny is ready? Then we'll go," he instructed them. The two cousins dashed off as Haley let out a tired sigh. Lucas looked at her concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been more tired lately."

"Maybe you should cut down on the music lessons," Lucas suggested. "Or let me take Jamie more often. I know how hard it is running after a four-and-a-half-year-old. After all, I have one too."

Haley stopped him right there. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I can handle it."

"I'm always here to help if you need me," Lucas replied as they heard Jamie coming back into the house.

"We're ready, Uncle Lucas," Jamie told him.

Lucas and Haley exchanged smiles before turning back to Jamie. "Alright, Buddy. Just give me a few minutes." Jamie was about to groan when his mother gave him a warning look. "We'll leave soon. I promise." Jamie made an unimpressed face, but didn't say anything as he went back outside.

"Did Brooke give you any idea about what she wants for her birthday?" Haley asked him.

"All I know is that she wants a quiet dinner at the café," Lucas replied as he quickly cleaned up the kitchen. "But since Maddie didn't think it was right for Brooke not to open any presents, she gave her a few ideas for presents. I haven't had a chance to take her shopping though."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Brooke's birthday is only a few days away. I would be happy to take Maddie shopping for Brooke's gifts," Haley replied. "I could do it this afternoon, if you want."

Lucas nodded gratefully. "Yeah, that would be great."

"Are you planning to get her anything?" Haley asked her.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. I want to, but I wouldn't know what to get her. If I do get her anything, I want it to be the perfect gift."

"You know Brooke will like anything you give her," Haley replied. She then curiously asked, "Why does it have to be so special?"

"Because I didn't get to give her the nursery last month," Lucas told her with a sigh. "So I want to make sure that I get something special for her."

"Did you ever show the nursery to Brooke?" Haley asked him. Lucas shook his head. "Are you planning to show her the nursery at all? I know she wants her privacy, but that room will probably have to be shown eventually."

Lucas sighed. "I know. I'm just hoping that you will hold off getting pregnant until she is over her miscarriage. That way, it will be easier when I do show it to her."

Haley gave him a look. "I'll do my best, but you know how pregnancies go. I can't time these things."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Brooke was at the terminal, waiting anxiously for Rachel to appear. She was excited to see her friend again. She hadn't seen her since last Thanksgiving when Rachel had come to join her and Julian for the holiday.<p>

She was getting worried when she finally spotted her redheaded friend. They exchanged wide smiles as Rachel anxiously hurried over to her. She embraced her best friend in a tight hug before pulling away. "You can't believe how much I've missed you."

"I missed you too," Brooke replied. "So how was your flight?" she asked as they headed towards the baggage claim.

Rachel shrugged. "It was boring, but worth it. At least, I hope it will be." Brooke didn't have a chance to reply when she continued. "So where are you taking me for lunch?" she asked her. "I'm starving."

"I know the perfect place," Brooke replied.

"It's not your little café, is it?" Rachel asked her as she rolled her eyes. "No offense, but I'm not in the mood for small town food right now. After all, I'll be eating it all week."

Brooke knew that she had a point. Luckily, she wasn't planning to bring Rachel to the café until later. However, she wasn't going to say that to Rachel. "No, it's a restaurant that I know you'll like."

Rachel gave her a wide smile. "Great. I can't wait to try it out," she replied.

After getting Rachel's suitcases, they headed to the restaurant. Soon they were sitting at a table. They had just ordered their food and were now passing the time. Rachel looked around the room, impressed. She smiled at her friend happily. "Well, I can see that your taste in fancy restaurants hasn't changed."

"You were worried?" Brooke asked her.

"Well, you have been in this small town for the past couple of months," Rachel pointed out. "And you have been working at that little café. So I didn't know how much you've changed."

"Just because I live in Tree Hill doesn't mean that I have changed. I still love going out to eat. I still love shopping." She then thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Actually, I don't think I will ever stop loving shopping."

"Please tell me there is a mall around here," Rachel said anxiously. "Or at least, a bar."

Brooke gave her friend a knowing look. "Tree Hill isn't exciting enough for you, is it?"

"Is it for you?" Rachel asked her. "Because it doesn't seem like you are happy here." She didn't let Brooke answer as she continued talking. "How can anybody be when their estranged husband and his girlfriend are right across the street? Not to mention your miscarriage."

Brooke gave her a look. "And you think that me moving back to New York is any better? After all, that's where our romance started. Julian's mom still lives there. My parents still live there."

Rachel gave her a confused look. "I thought it was just your mom who lives there now. I thought your so-called dad moved out to San Francisco or something."

This time, Brooke was confused. "My parents got divorced?" she asked stunned. "And nobody told me?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, it was months ago. Everyone was talking about it. I didn't think it was right to tell you since they were your parents. Are you sure you didn't know?" she asked her. Brooke shook her head. She gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I really thought that you already knew."

"It's ok, Rachel. It's not your fault," Brooke reassured her as their food arrived. She quickly changed the subject before Rachel could say another word about the divorce.

After lunch, the two best friends went shopping before they finally headed to Rachel's hotel to have Rachel check in and rest for awhile. Brooke also thought she needed a nap. So she drove back to the house and got ready to take a nap.

It seemed like she had only just fallen asleep when she heard faint voices. Brooke listened closely and realized that it was Haley and Maddie. She walked downstairs and went to the kitchen where Haley and Maddie were. However, Maddie quickly said 'hi' as she dashed past her. Brooke was confused, but didn't ask as she walked over to Haley.

They exchanged smiles as they embraced in a hug. "How are you doing?" Haley asked her softly. "You've been so busy working at the café that I have hardly seen you."

"Yeah, it's a habit of mine," Brooke admitted. "I always seem to focus on my work when I have a crisis. It's a great distraction."

Haley couldn't argue with that. "So I heard that your friend Rachel is here?" she asked. Brooke nodded. "I bet you were excited to see her."

"I was until I found out that she was trying to push me into moving back to New York. That is no surprise. She has been doing it for weeks. But the surprise that I wasn't prepared for was that my parents are divorced." Haley looked at her surprised. "They have been for months. I just never knew it because I wasn't speaking to them."

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," Haley said sympathetically.

Brooke let out a sigh. "I must be cursed," she replied.

Haley looked at her. "What? That's ridiculous. You are _not_ cursed."

Brooke gave her a look. "Oh no? Rumor has it that my father cheated on my mother, just like Julian did to me."

"Rumors aren't always true," Haley replied. "And from what you told me, your parents weren't meant to be together anyway. Neither were you and Julian. Or Lucas and Peyton."

Brooke let out another sigh. "I wish Julian was the guy I met back in high school. We were so in love then. I don't know what happened that made him want to cheat on me. I was the same Brooke I was back then; the only difference was I was his wife. But I was still _me_." She then looked at her friend. "You're so lucky that you have Nathan. He like worships the ground you walk on."

"You'll find someone else, Brooke," Haley said in a comfort tone. "I know it."

Brooke smiled at the comment. "Thanks, Hales. You're a true friend."

"Maybe you can marry Daddy," Maddie piped up as she came back into the kitchen.

Brooke and Haley laughed. Brooke then gave the little girl a gentle smile. "You are so cute. But your daddy and I are just friends." She then quickly changed the subject. "Now why don't you go and set up our favorite game in the family room and I'll be right there?" she asked her. Maddie nodded eagerly and dashed off.

Haley waited until her niece left before speaking. "Have you ever thought of you and Lucas being more than friends?" she asked her curious.

Brooke thought for a moment. "No," she admitted. "Besides, I'm not ready for another relationship right now."

Haley was satisfied with that answer. "Ok then. As long as you don't think you're cursed."


	13. The Best Birthday Present

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

** The Best Birthday Present**

Karen was working behind the counter when she heard someone walking into the café. She looked up and gave a wide smile as her son came over to the counter. "Good morning, Lucas. I would have thought that I would see Brooke first."

"Actually, she's taking a few days off to spend some time with Rachel, her friend from New York," Lucas reminded her.

Karen nodded, now remembering. "So is Rachel nice?"

"Actually, I haven't met her yet," Lucas admitted. "After Brooke picked her up from the airport yesterday, they went to lunch together. Then Brooke dropped her off at her hotel so she could rest. Then after a few hours, she called Brooke and told her that she still wasn't in the mood to meet me and Maddie. So Brooke didn't push it. Neither did I."

"I'm surprised. I would have thought that she would want to meet the man who had taken her friend in and helped her out with not only a job, but food and shelter as well."

Lucas shrugged. "I'm sure she does, but she probably wants to spend some time with her friend first." He then changed the subject. "Speaking of guests, it looks like we will have another one coming Friday afternoon."

Karen gave him a smile. "I know. Lily called me too. She seems really excited to be coming home again. After all, she hasn't been home since Christmas. And she only lives two hours away. You would think that she would come home more often."

Lucas smiled in return. "Well, you know how these college students are. They focus on schoolwork and their jobs. At least I know Lily does."

"Well, she wants to do well. Otherwise, she'll have to return to Tree Hill and attend community college," Karen replied. "And she really doesn't want to do that." She then let out a sigh as she added, "Even though I want her to."

Lucas gave her a look. "Don't tell me you are still having problems with Keith." Karen didn't have a chance to answer as her son continued. "I thought things were going better between you two since you came back from your trip."

Karen gave him a reassuring smile. "No, Keith and I are fine. I'm just still in that empty nest syndrome phase."

Lucas sighed as he asked, "Are you going to be this way for the next four years?"

Karen laughed. "I hope not. But for now, I am," she replied as they heard the door opening. They turned to see customers walking in and gave them a smile. "Good morning. Welcome to Karen's Café," she said as she winked at Lucas. He smiled in return and knew that it was time to get to work.

During his lunch hour, Lucas decided to use that time to shop for the perfect gift for Brooke's birthday. Even though they were just friends, he wanted to make sure that he would get her the perfect gift. After looking over her birthday list, none of those listed felt right. So he knew that he had to be creative.

For some reason, Lucas decided to head over to the jewelry store. As soon as he walked through the entrance, a store clerk immediately gave him a bright smile. He smiled in return as he started to look through the jewelry cases. However, he noticed the store clerk was still eyeing him.

He tried to ignore her, but the staring was getting on his nerves. He was about to say something to the store clerk when she spoke up first. "Lucas, it_ is_ you," she exclaimed happily. Lucas gave her a confused look as he tried to think how he knew her. "You don't remember me? It's Bevin. I used to be a cheerleader?" she asked. Lucas still was clueless. Bevin tried again. "I used to date Skills?" she asked.

Lucas nodded, now remembering. "You work here now?"

Bevin nodded proudly. "So what can I help you with today?" She then gasped as a thought came to her. "Are you looking for an engagement ring?" she asked. Lucas didn't have a chance to reply as she gently pulled him towards a different jewelry case. "Congratulations. It's about time you moved on from Peyton."

Lucas stopped her before she could go any further. "Whoa, I may be divorced from Peyton, but I'm not getting engaged. I'm just looking for some earrings or a necklace or something for a friend of mine."

Bevin raised her eyebrows and asked, "A birthday present for this month?"

Lucas turned red. "Actually, it's in two days."

Bevin nodded understandingly. "I know just the thing for her. Follow me." She then led him to another jewelry case.

Lucas didn't even have to think before he agreed that the piece of jewelry in front of him was right for Brooke. He gave Bevin a smile. "It's perfect."

Bevin smiled in return. "I'll ring that purchase up for you," she replied as she led him over the cash register. As Lucas waited to pay for his gift, they heard the door open. "I'll be right with you," she told the customer.

"There's no hurry," said a familiar voice as she came up to the counter. Lucas and Bevin turned to see Peyton. "I have all afternoon."

Lucas glared at her angrily. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Peyton gave him a look. "What do you think I'm doing here? I'm buying a present for Julian."

"I can see why you two divorced," Bevin said as she finished up with Lucas's purchase. She then gave Lucas a smile as she handed him his purchase. "Here you go. I'm sure your friend will love her gift."

Lucas smiled in return. "Thanks, Bevin. I'll see you later." He then hurried out of the store, unaware that Peyton was following him.

Peyton hurried to catch up with him. "Hey, we need to talk," she demanded.

"If it's about giving _my_ daughter over to you, then you should talk to my lawyer," Lucas replied as he reached his car. "After all, we're going to court now."

Both Lucas and Peyton had been right about meditation. It hadn't worked. All they had done during the two sessions was argue. So they were now waiting to go to trial to fight for custody of Maddie. Lucas was dreading that, but he trusted Victoria to help him win the case.

"We wouldn't have to go through this if you would just let me see her in the first place," Peyton exclaimed angrily.

Lucas glared at her. "She doesn't know you. And more importantly, you don't know her. The only thing you know about her is probably her birthday. Or have you forgotten that?"

Peyton gave him a look. "How can I forget?"

"Well, you certainly have forgotten for the last four-and-a-half years," Lucas replied. Peyton was about to respond, but he didn't let her get a word in. "Don't talk to me again without speaking to my lawyer first," he ordered before he climbed into his car before driving off.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Brooke couldn't help smiling as she woke up. Even though she had had a rough couple of months and was still recovering from her miscarriage, she was excited that it was her birthday. She knew that she was going to have a great day and nothing was going to ruin it.<p>

She couldn't believe that this would be the first time that she wouldn't be spending her birthday with Julian in eight years. She still remembered how he had made her breakfast in bed. She would then spend the day with Rachel shopping for new clothes before going out to dinner with him. Yet, she was excited to see what was in store for her today.

As she opened her bedroom door, she could already smell breakfast cooking. The smell made her even more anxious to eat than she already was. She hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen. She wasn't surprised when she saw that both Lucas and Maddie were already there.

Lucas turned to her and gave her a wide smile. "Hey, there's the birthday girl. I hope we didn't wake you."

"Happy birthday, Brooke," Maddie exclaimed happily as she ran to her for a hug. "We're making your breakfast."

Brooke hugged her tightly. "Thank you. And it smells delicious."

"It's almost ready. So why don't you set the table?" Lucas suggested. Maddie went to the silverware while Brooke walked over to Lucas. He gave her a smile. "Happy birthday."

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "Thank you."

Lucas started to pull the plates out from the cupboard. Brooke was about to get the glasses when he stopped her. "Today is your birthday which means no working. That includes the café. You just sit down and relax."

"Yeah, Brooke," Maddie added as she came over to the two. She took hold of Brooke's hand and pulled her towards the table and over to a chair. Brooke felt that she had no choice but to sit down.

"But I haven't been working at the café all week," Brooke protested.

Maddie turned to her confused. "You want to work on your birthday?" she asked surprised.

Lucas and Brooke laughed. Brooke then pretended to think for a moment. "Well, I guess you're right, Maddie. I shouldn't work on my birthday. In fact, we should both play hooky so I can spend the day with my favorite sidekick." Brooke then turned to Lucas. "I mean if that's ok with you."

Maddie gave him a pleading look and he smiled. "Alright, you can play hooky today," he replied and Maddie jumped for joy. She quickly embraced him in a hug before she finished setting the table. She then joined Brooke as Lucas came over with the food.

After eating a delicious breakfast, Maddie helped Lucas clean up before she dashed upstairs to get ready for the day. Once she was ready, she and Brooke headed to the game closet. Lucas knew Maddie was in good hands so he headed to the café.

During the late afternoon, the party guests started arriving and Lucas closed the café. Keith, Karen and Deb were already at the café since they had worked that day. Jake, Jenny and Jamie came first. Then it was the birthday girl with Maddie and Rachel. After the introductions, they all started to get to know Rachel as they waited for Nathan, Haley and Victoria, who had flown in for the weekend, to show up.

After everyone arrived, it was soon dinnertime. Everyone spread out at the tables and booths. Jamie, Maddie and Jenny were at a table. So were Brooke and Haley. Karen and Deb were behind the counters while Victoria was sitting on a stool. Nathan and Jake were talking in a booth while Rachel and Lucas were chatting. As they ate, they heard a light tap on the door. Everyone turned to see who it was. Most of them were surprised, but happy when they recognized the young brunette standing outside the door.

Maddie and Jamie got out of their seats and ran to open the door for the young woman. She embraced them tightly in a hug as her family came over to her. She then embraced Lucas in a hug as he asked, "What are you doing here? Mom said that you weren't coming until tomorrow."

"I was until I found out that my only class on Fridays was canceled," his sister replied happily. "So I thought I could sneak down here a day early and surprise you. Besides, I missed my family."

"We've missed you too," Maddie told her.

Lily then spotted Brooke and walked over to her. "You must be Brooke Davis. I'm Lily. My brother and niece told me all about you including that it's your birthday today. I hope I'm not intruding on your birthday dinner."

"It's so nice to meet you too. And you're welcome to stay," Brooke replied with a friendly smile.

"Good because I brought you a present," Lily told her as everyone laughed. Brooke then introduced her to Rachel and Victoria before they went back to eating and conversing with each other.

After they were done, they chatted a little longer before Brooke told them that she was ready for cake, ice cream and presents. Maddie, Jamie and even Jenny gathered the presents and cards from everyone and took them over to Brooke.

Brooke thanked them as everyone gathered around her to watch her open her presents. Lucas waited anxiously until she got to his gift. He watched as she reached into the gift bag and pulled out a small box. She opened it and gasped at the aquamarine earrings that were sitting before her. "Lucas, thank you so much. They're beautiful. I love them."

Haley looked at him surprised as Lucas looked at Brooke. "Well, I wanted to get you something special. So I thought that the earrings would be perfect for you," Lucas explained.

"They are," Brooke replied as she put her new earrings on. "How do they look on me?"

"They look wonderful on you," Lily replied.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Karen added.

Haley couldn't help but stare at Lucas in amazement. He pretended not to notice as he followed his mother into the back room to get the cake and ice cream. Nathan was right behind them.

Once the cake and ice cream were out, Karen and Lucas immediately started to cut and pass out slices. Deb started scooping out the ice cream. "How come you don't blow out your candles?" Maddie asked Brooke as they waited for their pieces of cake.

"Some people don't because of their age," Brooke replied.

"You're not that old, Brooke," Maddie told her.

Brooke smiled. "Thanks, Maddie." She then turned her attention to Haley, who was sitting on her other side. She noticed that she had a big piece of cake and a lot of ice cream on her plate. She raised her eyebrows. "Do you think you can eat all that?" she asked her.

"I can't help it. I'm starving," Haley said as she ate another bite of the piece of her cake. "And Karen always makes the best birthday cakes. Isn't that right, Maddie?"

Maddie nodded. "She does."

Brooke laughed. "Well, that's good to know."

Before long, everyone started to head home. Keith and Lucas offered to stay behind to clean up. So Brooke was free to take Maddie home. Rachel had already left with Victoria to head back to her hotel. She had told Brooke that she had been nervous to meet Lucas and the Scott family. Now she had met them, she approved of them and knew that they really cared about her friend.

When they arrived home, Brooke helped Maddie get ready for bed before Maddie snuggled under the covers with Lucy. Brooke then read her a story before giving her a kiss and hug. She then turned out the light. Just as she was about to close the door, she heard Maddie's voice. "Brooke, I love you," she told her.

Brooke smiled back at her. "I love you too, Maddie," she replied before she closed the door. She smiled to herself as she thought that she didn't need to make a birthday wish. She didn't really need the presents, even though she loved them. Especially Lucas's gift. Seeing that she was surrounded by people who truly cared about her was the best birthday present that she could ever have. She didn't need anything else.


	14. Messing With The Kid

**A/N**: Thank you for all the awesome reviews. And my beta: Leeese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

** Messing With The Kid**

A few days later, Lucas, Maddie and Brooke were saying good-bye to Rachel at the airport since it was time for her to return to New York. Brooke knew that she was disappointed that she would be going back alone. But she knew that Tree Hill was home now. Especially after her birthday party.

Rachel first embraced Lucas in a gentle hug before she turned to Maddie. "It's been fun, kid. Call me whenever you get to come and visit New York. You, your dad and Brooke can stay with me, ok?" she asked her. Maddie nodded in response. She then turned to Brooke. "Are you sure that I can't convince you to come back with me?" she asked her friend one last time.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm going to stay here. But I promise that I'll come and visit more often."

"I'll hold you to that," Rachel replied as she embraced her friend in a hug. "Bye Brooke."

"Bye Rachel," Brooke said as they pulled away. "I know it's a short flight to New York, but call me when you get back."

Rachel nodded. "I will," she promised before she headed towards the security line. She waved good-bye one last time to them before she went to the back of the line. They waited until she safely got through security before they walked towards the exit.

Brooke gave Lucas a grateful smile. "Thanks for coming with me," she said as they headed back to the car. "It's nice to have company on the way back to the house."

Lucas smiled in return. "It's no problem."

"Daddy, when_ are_ we going to New York?" Maddie asked him as they arrived at the car. "For my birthday?" she asked hopefully.

Lucas sighed. "We'll have to see," he replied as he remembered the custody case. "Now what do you say about finding something to eat and then taking our dinner to the River Court?" he asked her. Maddie eagerly nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea, considering that I've never been to the River Court," Brooke replied. She had heard Lucas and Nathan mention it once in awhile. However, she hadn't been to see it yet.

Lucas turned to her surprised. "Really? You've been here two months and never been to the River Court?" he asked her. Brooke shook her head. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

It wasn't long before the three were sitting on the bleachers of the River Court, eating their dinner. After they ate, Lucas brought the basketball out and helped Maddie shoot baskets while Brooke watched fondly. They had been only playing for a few minutes before Maddie was begging Brooke to join them. After a few moments, Brooke finally agreed, claiming that the Maddie charm had worked once again.

After a few hours of playing, Lucas, Brooke and Maddie headed home. When they arrived home, Brooke helped Maddie get ready for bed. She saw that Maddie was too tired to be read to. So she gave her a kiss good night before turning off the light. She then went back downstairs and joined Lucas on the couch. "Maddie fell asleep as she hit her pillow."

Lucas smiled. "I'm not surprised. She usually falls asleep pretty easily after a few hours on the River Court. So does Jamie. Of course, I don't blame her. Playing on the River Court can be so exhausting sometimes."

Brooke laughed. "I can see why I never tried out for basketball in high school or college. I don't think that I would have been able to have the energy to go back and forth across the court like that. I'm glad that I was just a cheerleader."

"Well, I'm glad that you have decided to stay in Tree Hill," Lucas said, changing the subject. "We would have missed you too much."

Brooke smiled. "I would have missed you guys too." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Even though I'm staying in Tree Hill, I've decided that it's time for me to move out of this house." Lucas looked at her surprised. "It has nothing to do with you or Maddie. You two have been wonderful to me. I really appreciate everything that you guys have done for me. And your family. They are really great."

Lucas somehow knew what was coming. "But you feel like you need some space and privacy?" he guessed. Brooke nodded. "Well, my family and I were actually discussing that the other day. And we thought that you could move in with Deb for a little while."

This time, Brooke was surprised. She was unable to keep it out of her voice as she asked, "What?"

"Well, I'm sure Deb wanted to tell you this herself, but she offered her house to you. I'm not sure if you know this, but she lives in a mansion. She has plenty of room so you can have your space and privacy." He knew that she hadn't really had a chance to grieve for her baby yet. He could also tell that Brooke wasn't convinced. "That way, you don't have to worry about moving everything again. You can leave most of your stuff here and just take the necessities with you."

Brooke was quiet for a moment as she thought his words over. "Are you sure Deb won't mind?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head. "No, she has that mansion all to herself. So she gets pretty lonely most of the time. I don't know why she doesn't move into a smaller house, but I guess she doesn't want to sell the house. Of course, I don't blame her. It _is_ a nice house."

"Really? What's so special about it? Besides having lots of room?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas had to think for a moment. "Well, she had a wood burning fireplace, a pool and a three car garage. But the best part is that she has a basketball court in the backyard."

Brooke nodded approvingly. "That's pretty impressive. It makes me want to check the house out and see for myself."

"So are you going to accept Deb's offer?" Lucas asked.

Brooke thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think I will."

Lucas gave her a smile. "Great. I'll call Deb in the morning and we'll work out the details then."

The next morning, Lucas was making coffee when he heard footsteps. He turned to see that it was Maddie. They exchanged greetings as she grabbed a seat at the table. "What do you want for breakfast today, Princess?" Lucas asked her.

"I want Cinnamon Toast Crunch, please," Maddie replied.

"That sounds delicious. Save some for me," Brooke said as she walked into the kitchen. She gave them both a smile as she walked over to the cupboard and pulled out the cereal box. "Good morning," she said as she put it on the table.

Lucas and Maddie smiled in return. "Good morning, Brooke," Lucas replied. "Are you sure you don't want bacon and eggs today?"

Brooke shook her head as she pulled out two bowls from another cupboard. "No, a bowl of cereal actually sounds good today."

Just then, there was an excited squeal from Maddie. "Daddy, Mia Catalano is in Tree Hill," she exclaimed as she pointed to a flyer in the paper.

"Who's Mia Catalano?" Brooke asked her.

"She's a young singer that Maddie loves," Lucas replied. "So where is Mia playing?"

Brooke looked over Maddie's shoulder and read the location before turning back to Lucas. "Tree Hill Café," she replied softly.

"You've got to be kidding," Lucas said as he walked over and read the flyer. He shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable," he muttered. He then thought for a moment before he spoke again. "Brooke, do you think you can watch Maddie for a few minutes? I have to do something." Brooke nodded before Lucas headed out the front door, flyer still in his hand.

He walked across the street to Nathan's and Haley's house. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. It didn't take long before the door opened and Jamie gave his uncle a wide smile. "Hi, Uncle Lucas," he said.

Lucas smiled in return. "Hey, Jamie. Is your mom home?" he asked him.

Jamie nodded as Haley came to the door. "Hey Lucas. What's up?" she asked. Lucas gave her the familiar signal where he wanted to talk to her alone. "Jamie, why don't you go and watch cartoons for awhile?" she asked. Jamie went without any objections.

Before Haley could even ask, Lucas helped up the flyer and gave it to her to look at. She frowned as she read the announcement. "Did you know anything about Mia coming back to town for a concert?" Lucas asked her.

"If I did, I would have asked her to come and play at Karen's Café," Haley replied. "We're more friends than she and Peyton are. After all, I helped her get her music career up and running. Peyton didn't do squat. Even though I'm sure she claimed that she did."

"So what do you want to do about it?" Lucas asked.

Haley looked at him hard. "Wait a minute, you aren't thinking about having me ask her if she would play at the café, are you?"

"Why not?" Lucas asked. "It would be great publicity for the café."

"There's no way that Mia will do both cafés," Haley protested. She then added, "At least, I don't think so."

Lucas just smiled at her. "She might if a big fan of hers asks her."

Haley knew what he was getting at. "You want me to take Maddie along?" she asked. She knew Maddie was a huge fan of Mia. However, she was skeptical. "Are you sure you want to do that? What if we run into Peyton?"

Lucas knew that she had a point. "It's not like Maddie will know who she is. And if she is there, you can make sure that Maddie stays away from her."

Haley sighed before answering. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks Haley."

He was about to leave when Haley stopped him. "Hold on a minute, Luke. What was all that about not finding Brooke the perfect birthday present? And then you go and buy her a pair of earrings?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Not just a pair of earrings, but her birthstone. As I recall, that wasn't on her birthday list. And you hardly ever veer off the list."

"I wanted to make sure that she got something special," Lucas replied and left the house before Haley could say another word.

Haley just watched him as he went back across the street. "I think Uncle Lucas likes Brooke," Jamie told his mom as he came back into the hall. "He just doesn't know it yet."

Haley smiled at her son. "You may be right, Jamie." She then changed the subject. "Now why don't you go play with Chester while I make some phone calls?" she asked him before he obediently dashed off again.

It didn't take long for Haley to figure out where Mia and her band were practicing. She knew that the only place big enough was Tric, the local club that the gang used to hang out at. They didn't hang out there as often as they did in high school since they were so busy with their jobs and children now. However, Nathan and Haley occasionally still went on dates there. The last time that they had gone there was on their Valentine's Day date.

She invited Brooke to come along with them and Brooke instantly agreed. When they arrived, Haley barely parked the car before Maddie climbed out. Haley immediately stopped her niece before she could go too far. Maddie impatiently waited for Haley and Brooke to get out of the vehicle before she challenged Brooke to a stair race.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you, Brooke," Haley warned Brooke. "Maddie is a pretty good runner."

"That's because I exercise," Maddie replied proudly. "Daddy says it's good for me."

Brooke laughed. "Well, your daddy's right. But I think I'll skip the race today. We'll do it another day. I promise."

Maddie nodded. She then led the way up to the door and got excited as she heard music from inside the building. Brooke helped her open the door and they walked into the room. Haley led the way as they walked closer up to the stage, where the band was practicing.

Maddie watched contently as the young woman finished her song. They then clapped as the young woman turned their way. She gave a wide smile to Haley as she recognized her old friend. She jumped off the stage as Haley, Brooke and Maddie walked over to her.

Mia embraced Haley in a tight hug before she pulled away. "I should have known that you were going to stop by here. I'm so sorry about not telling you that I was in Tree Hill. We weren't even planning to at first, but then my schedule opened up. And I thought that it would be nice to play in my hometown. So here I am."

Haley was about to respond when she realized that she needed to do introductions. "Well, I'm glad you did. Mia, I'd like you to meet my friend, Brooke Davis." Mia and Brooke shook hands before Haley spoke again. "And this is my niece, Maddie. She is a big fan of yours."

Mia and Maddie exchanged smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Maddie," Mia said as she bent down to her level. She and Maddie talked a little bit before Brooke pulled out her camera and took a couple of pictures of them. It was clear to see that Maddie was thrilled at meeting her idol.

"Mia, can you come and sing at my grandma's café?" Maddie asked her hopefully.

"We wanted to ask you, but we didn't think that you would want to perform at both cafés," Haley explained. "In fact, I was surprised that you agreed to perform at Tree Hill Café."

"Well, I ran into Peyton and her boyfriend first," Mia replied. "And they told me that it would be good for their business since they were new in the neighborhood. I had no idea that their café was right across the street from yours until they told me the address."

"Mommy owns a café too?" Maddie asked. "Is that why Daddy doesn't let her visit me?" she asked before instantly covering her mouth.

Haley was about to respond when she registered the words that she said. She and Brooke exchanged shocked looks before she turned to her niece. "Maddie, who told you that Daddy won't let your mom visit?" she asked her.

Maddie didn't reply at first. "It's supposed to be a secret," she replied quietly. "I can't tell anybody."

"It's ok. You can tell me. After all, we're partners, remember?" Brooke gently reminded her.

Maddie just shook her head. "You're not supposed to tell secrets."

Brooke knew that she had a point. "True, but there are exceptions to every rule. Now your Aunt Haley and I won't get mad at you if you tell us."

"Will you get mad at Jamie and Jenny?" Maddie asked them.

Haley and Brooke frowned. "Why would we get mad at them?" Haley asked her niece.

"Because they know the secret too," Maddie replied.

Haley soon realized why Jamie and Jenny were the only ones who knew. "It's ok, Maddie. We're not going to get mad at them either," she assured her. "We just want to know the person who told you this." She had a suspicion who had told her this, but she wanted to make sure with Maddie.

Maddie took a deep breath before speaking. "It was Mommy," she replied, confirming Haley's suspicion.


	15. Crash Course in Polite Conversation

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

** Crash Course in Polite Conversation**

Karen and Deb were serving their customers when Peyton stormed into the café. The two women exchanged looks as Peyton marched over to the counter. "Is there something we can help you with, Peyton?" Karen asked her. Even though Peyton wasn't welcomed there, she was still going to be polite.

"You can help me get my singer back," Peyton snapped angrily.

Karen gave her a confused look. "Excuse me?"

Peyton glared at her. "I had arranged for Mia Catalano to sing at my little café. And then she called me and told me that she's canceling on me and moving her concert to your café. Could you please tell Haley and Lucas to stay away from my bands?"

Before Karen could answer her, another voice spoke up. "She had a good reason to cancel on you. After all, you've been doing some _sneaky_ things lately," Lucas said, trying to keep his voice calm. However, his eyes blazed with hatred as he glared at Peyton. He didn't want to get upset in front of Karen, Deb and the customers. "Can we talk alone?"

"Lucas, what's going on?" Karen asked her as she looked from Lucas to Peyton.

"I would rather discuss it with Peyton first," Lucas quickly replied as he continued to glare at his ex-wife.

Peyton was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Fine. We can talk in my café. It's closed anyway since I was planning to prepare it for the concert." Lucas somehow managed to keep his cool as she followed Peyton out of the café and across the street. However, it became harder with each step. Once they reached Peyton's café, she let them in before she asked, "Ok, what do you want to yell at me about now? Because I know if it was just about Mia, you wouldn't have asked to talk to me privately."

"You bet your ass that it's not just about Mia," Lucas exclaimed angrily. "When the fuck did I give you permission to talk to Maddie?" he demanded. He didn't let Peyton get a word in as he continued. "I know all about your secret visit at the school during recess. Maddie told Haley and Brooke all about it."

"Well, I wouldn't have to sneak around if you would just let me see Maddie in the first place," Peyton defended.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "I can see that you've learned some tricks from Dan." He remembered how Dan had tried the same trick years ago when he and Nathan were in school. Luckily, they had told their mother and she had talked to the principal to make sure that he stayed off school grounds. "Well, I'm going to make sure that you aren't going to see Maddie again. I've already called Victoria and she's working on getting a restraining order to have you stay away from Maddie until the trial."

"Don't you think it's a little too late for that?" Peyton asked him. She smirked as she added, "After all, Maddie and I are old friends by now."

Lucas glared at her. "You've been visiting her ever since you got here, haven't you?" he demanded as it dawned on him. "Even before I told you to stay away from her, right?"

Peyton didn't even try to argue with him. "Well, it was just one little visit. But then, Maddie_ begged_ me to come back," Peyton explained. "However, I told her that I had to get your permission first. She was _so_ disappointed when she heard that you had said 'no'. But she loves keeping secrets. So it worked out."

"How the hell did you get Jamie and Jenny to go along with the secret?" Lucas asked her. "Bribery?"

"Nobody likes a tattletale," Peyton replied. She then turned the subject back to Maddie. "Since Maddie and I already know each other, there really isn't any harm to letting me talk to her, right?" she asked. "It's not like I want to kidnap her. I just want to talk to her and get to know her."

"You're about five years too late for that," Lucas snapped before he realized why she had been talking to Maddie at the school. "I get it. You think that if you prove to the judge that you do know her, then the judge will let you have custody of her?" Lucas scoffed at the thought. "The judge will never go for it. Especially after hearing how you sneaked around after I asked you to stay away from her."

"Why are you trying to fight for her, Lucas?" a familiar voice asked as Julian came into the room. "You know that Maddie isn't yours." Lucas looked at him shocked. "You should just admit it now so that the rumors about our affairs can finally die down."

Lucas glared at Peyton with a renewed hatred in his eyes. "You know damn well that Maddie is mine. Why the hell are you doing this?" he demanded.

"Because Maddie deserves to be with her mother," Peyton replied.

Lucas knew that the conversation was over. He just angrily stomped out of the café and walked back to his own café. By now, Karen and Deb were attending to the customers. However, he could tell that they had been told what Peyton had done. Especially since Brooke was now behind the counter. He then assumed that the visit with Mia was over and Maddie was at school by now.

Lucas walked up to the counter and sat down on a stool. Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "Can I get anything for you?" she asked him. "Coffee? A muffin?" Lucas shook his head. His appetite had been lost the moment that he had gotten that phone call. Brooke decided to try one more time. "You want me to trash her café again? Because I'll be glad to do it," she joked.

Lucas finally managed a smile. "Yeah, that would be nice." He then changed the subject to a more serious one. "If I ask you a personal question about the baby, would you be willing to answer it?" he asked her. Brooke nodded. "If Julian had claimed your baby, would you have had let him have joint custody? Or at least, visitation rights?"

Brooke didn't know how to respond to that. She had to think for a moment. "Well, he was the father. But I don't think that I would have wanted him near my child. Especially since he cheated on me with Peyton. How could I have had let him into my child's life if he sets an example like that?"

Lucas knew that she had a point. "Yeah, you're right. You can't. And I wouldn't do it either." He then let out a sigh of frustration. "But I might have to since she already knows Maddie. She's been seeing her ever since she has moved here." Brooke wished that she could cheer him up. "I know that I told Victoria to get a restraining order against Peyton, but I'd rather have the trial start. That way, it'll be over sooner."

"Maybe Victoria can pull some strings and get the trial started already," Brooke suggested.

Lucas nodded. "It'll definitely worth a try." He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Victoria's cell-phone number. It didn't take Victoria long to agree. She told him that she was going to see what she could do. He thanked her and said good-bye before he hung up. He then gave Brooke a smile. "Well, she can't make any promises, but she is going to see what she can do."

Brooke tried not to laugh. "It's funny how she cares more about her clients than her own daughter. She didn't even have the nerve to tell me that she and my dad divorced months ago." Lucas turned to her surprised. "I had to hear it from Rachel."

"I'm sorry, Brooke," Lucas said sympathetically. "I had no idea."

"Me neither," Brooke replied. "But it's ok. I don't think they were meant to be." She then gave him a smile as she remembered her conversation with Haley that day. "Do you know what Maddie suggested to me the other day?" she asked him. Lucas shook his head. "She suggested that I should marry you."

Lucas turned red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that. She probably got that idea from watching those Disney movies. I'll talk to her and explain to her that it's not that simple."

Brooke shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "No, it's ok. I told her that we're just friends. Actually, I think it's kind of cute, her playing matchmaker for you. I have to say that I'm surprised." Lucas looked at her confused. "I would have thought she would be scared to have a stepmother. After all, they're so mean in Disney movies. Just look at what Cinderella had to put up with."

Lucas laughed. "You've done your homework. But some stepmothers are nice. Look at Deb. We didn't expect to end up with her as Dan's wife."

"I heard that," Deb replied as she gave Lucas a stern look, but she was smiling. "Careful. Or I will get mean and nasty."

"I'll behave," Lucas promised before he changed the subject.

Later that day, Karen closed the café so that they could get ready for Mia's concert. It wasn't long before everyone arrived to help out. They had barely finished when a crowd started to form outside. Soon, the café was filled with people. Even though the Scott family knew that they were there for Mia, they were still happy with the turnout. Everyone had a great time. Lucas was relieved that nobody mentioned anything about Peyton. After the concert, Mia then stayed for awhile to sign autographs and take pictures with her fans.

By then, the three children were trying to stay awake. So the three fathers took their children home. Brooke went with Lucas while Haley stayed behind with Mia and the grandparents.

Once they arrived home, Lucas immediately sent Maddie up to get ready for bed. As always, Maddie wanted Brooke to read her a story. However, Lucas knew that it was the perfect time to talk to Maddie about her exposed secret.

"Am I in trouble?" Maddie asked worriedly as she cuddled up next to her doll in her bed.

Lucas shook his head. "No, of course not. I just want to talk to you about Mommy."

Maddie looked down ashamed. "I know."

"Maddie, you know that you're not supposed to talk to strangers. How did you know that she was your mommy in the first place?" Lucas asked her.

"She showed me a picture of you, me and her at the hospital," Maddie replied. Lucas then realized that she had been planning the visit for awhile. "Is Mommy a bad guy? Is that why she's not supposed to visit me?"

Lucas sighed. "Mommy and I aren't getting along right now. And I didn't want you to get stuck in the middle." He then quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you get some sleep? We'll talk more about it later." Maddie just nodded as he tucked her in. "I love you, Maddie," he said with a smile.

Maddie smiled in return. "I love you too, Daddy," she replied.

Lucas then turned out the light and quietly left the room. He closed the door before he headed downstairs, where Brooke was waiting for him in the kitchen. He let out another long sigh as he sat down at the kitchen table. Brooke could see that he was struggling to keep his frustration in. "Let it out if you want. I don't mind. After all, I know what it's like to have a former spouse who makes your life miserable. The only difference is that mine doesn't have to worry about responsibility anymore. Of course, he doesn't even know that I had a miscarriage."

Lucas turned to her. "You haven't told him yet?" he asked her with a hint of surprise in his voice. Brooke shook her head. "But it's been a month. What if he suddenly wants to claim the baby?"

Brooke knew that he had a point. "I know, but he doesn't want to be a part of my life anymore. So why should I try and make him?" she pointed out. "Victoria tried to do it with me. And all it did was pushed me further away from her."

"Well, I have the opposite problem," Lucas replied. "Peyton's trying to force her way back into our lives. And I don't think that she will stop until she gets custody of Maddie."

"What was Peyton's idea of a custody arrangement?" Brooke asked. "She couldn't possibly forbid you from seeing Maddie. Especially since she's in Tree Hill."

"I'll have to convince Julian that Maddie's my daughter first," Lucas replied. Brooke looked at him stunned. "Peyton knows that Maddie is mine. She is just trying to lie her way into getting custody."

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, the only thing I can do is order a paternity test to prove that Madelyn Elizabeth Scott is my daughter," Lucas replied. "I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that Maddie stays with me."

"I'm right behind you, Lucas," Brooke said. "And if you need me to testify against Peyton, I'll be happy to do so."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Brooke."


	16. An Attempt to Tip the Scales

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

** An Attempt to Tip the Scales**

The next day, Lucas immediately made arrangements so that he and Maddie could get the tests done right away. He was glad that his friend Anna Taggaro, who worked at the hospital part-time, was willing to help him out and administer the tests. He was also extremely grateful that she was willing to do this for him.

Luckily, she was able to do it that very day. They quickly arranged the appointment for that afternoon. After preschool was over, Lucas drove Maddie over to the hospital. He had explained the best that he could why they were going there. Luckily, she wasn't afraid of hospitals. She knew that they were there to help people.

"How long will it take before the results come back?" Lucas asked Anna anxiously as she was finishing up.

"It usually takes three days. So they should be in by the end of the week," Anna told him. "I'll call you when the results come in." Lucas just nodded. Anna tried to cheer him up. She gave him a reassuring smile as she added, "I know it doesn't help, but I believe that Maddie is yours."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks Anna." He then heard his cell-phone ringing in his pocket. He excused himself to take the phone call. When he looked at the caller ID, he was surprised to see that it was Victoria. He hadn't expected her to call back so soon. He hoped that it was good news. "Hey, what's up?" he asked her.

_"Great news. I was able to pull some strings and was able to get the case bumped up,"_ Victoria replied. _"The trial starts in two weeks."_

Lucas was surprised. "Really? Wow, I didn't expect that."

_"I've already booked a flight to Tree Hill for this weekend. I'll be there Friday afternoon,"_ Victoria told him.

"I would be happy to pick you up," Lucas offered. "And you can stay at my house." Victoria was about to interrupt when he continued on. "We can make room for you."

_"I think you should talk to Brooke about that first before you offer your house for a visitor,"_ Victoria suggested. _"Especially since it's me."_ Lucas knew that she had a point. _"It's a nice offer, Lucas. But I think I would be better off in a hotel."_

"Why don't I talk to Brooke first and see what she says?" he asked her. "Then we'll talk about sleeping arrangements." He then heard Maddie's voice and remembered what he was doing. "Victoria, I got to go. I'll talk to you later." He then exchanged good-byes with her before he hung up the phone. He turned around to face his daughter. "What is it, Maddie?" he asked her.

"Can we go home now?" she asked him.

Lucas gave her a smile. "Yeah, we can go." He took her hand as they waved good-bye to Anna. He thanked her one last time before they headed towards the exit. He tried to remain cheerful as they headed towards the parking lot. However, the thought of Maddie possibly not being his daughter kept running through his head. He knew that he was screwed if the results said that she wasn't his.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Maddie asked, noticing the worried look on his face. "How come you look so sad?"

Lucas gave her a gentle smile. "I'm just thinking about where we should have dinner. Shall we see if Grandpa and Grandma Scott are home?" he asked her. Maddie nodded eagerly. "Ok, we'll stop by the café and check on Brooke first. Then we'll ask Grandma, ok?"

It didn't take long for Brooke or Karen to accept the invitation. Soon, the five of them were sitting around the kitchen table at Karen's house eating dinner. However, Lucas couldn't really eat. He was too nervous about the results of the paternity test to eat. Brooke and his parents noticed it, but they remained quiet about it. Lucas was grateful about that. Especially since his parents didn't know about Peyton's false claim yet. He hoped that he wouldn't need to tell them that Maddie wasn't his.

After dinner, Brooke and Maddie helped Karen clean up and wash the dishes. Keith and Lucas were free to watch television. He was relieved that his uncle didn't ask him about what was bothering him. He really didn't want to talk about it right then.

Once they got home, Lucas sent Maddie to get ready for bed. After she was done, he said good-night to her before Brooke pulled out a book and started reading to her. He just stood in the doorway and watched the scene fondly. He couldn't help but wonder if nights like these were now going to be limited.

He shook the thought from his head as he waited patiently until she was done. He then led the way downstairs and into the kitchen. However, he was quiet as he stared out the kitchen window. Brooke could see that he was really hurting. "It'll be ok," she assured him.

Lucas didn't answer for a moment. "If Maddie doesn't turn out to be my daughter, I won't have any choice but to turn custody over to Peyton."

"Don't think that for a second, Lucas Scott," Brooke told him. "There is no question that Maddie is your daughter. I believe that. You have to too." Lucas knew that she was right. "And once the results prove that we're right, it will be easier to fight for custody."

Lucas then knew that it was the perfect time to mention Victoria. "Speaking of that, your mother called and told me that she was able to get the case pulled up. The trial starts in two weeks." Brooke looked at him impressed as he continued talking. "She's also flying in this weekend. And it sounds like she will stay until the case is over." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "And I offered to let her to stay with us, but I forgot to ask you first. Is that ok? Or do you want her to stay in a hotel?"

To his surprise, Brooke shook her head. "No, I don't mind considering that I'll staying at Deb's house anyway."

"You're really making an effort to be nice to your mother, aren't you?" Lucas asked her. "And I'm sure that Deb will be glad to have some company."

Brooke shrugged. "Well, she is so I might as well too." She then let out a sigh. "But I'm not sure how nice I will be when I confront her about the divorce. I still can't believe that neither of them told me."

"Would you have believed them?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke knew that he had a point. She then decided to change the subject. "Do you know what's going on with Haley? She's been acting really weird lately."

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "Yeah, I've noticed it too. I have a guess, but I want Nathan and Haley to confirm it first." Brooke tried not to smile. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Brooke finally had to return the smile. "We'll just have to wait and find out."

Over the next few days, Lucas kept himself busy attending to the café and helping Brooke move some of her things to Deb's house. To his relief, Brooke didn't tell anybody about Peyton's claim. However, they weren't able to keep the secret long. The rumors about Maddie's paternity soon reached the rest of the Scott family. None of them could believe their ears especially Haley. They all assured him that Maddie was his daughter. Lucas then told them that he had gotten a paternity test done anyway.

On Friday morning, Lucas and Maddie joined Deb and Brooke for breakfast. After that, Deb took Maddie to preschool while Lucas and Brooke headed to work. "So I'm guessing that you aren't looking forward to having your mother stay for awhile?" Lucas asked as he drove them to the café.

"Do you want me to lie or tell you the truth?" Brooke asked him as she sighed.

Lucas gave her a smile. "I'm sure your mother is thinking the same thing. Just make sure that your confrontation is in private. I would hate for Maddie to eavesdrop and think that you are fighting with your mother."

"I promise that it won't be anywhere near her. I'm planning to invite my mother to lunch and confront her then," Brooke replied. "And there will be no yelling involved."

Lucas laughed. "I hope so."

Once they arrived at their destination, they immediately noticed that an unfamiliar car was parked near the café. Lucas frowned. The cafe wasn't opened yet. So he knew that it couldn't have been a customer. "This can't be good. It's probably Dan."

Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "We won't know until we go in," she pointed out.

Lucas knew that she was right and they headed into the café. To his surprise and relief, he found his mother, Keith and Haley with Anna. "Anna, what are you doing here?" he asked before he realized that there needed to be introductions. "Anna, this is Brooke Davis," he said, introducing the two.

"Actually, we already know each other," Brooke told him. Keith, Karen and Lucas looked at her surprised. "She was the one who had examined me at the hospital," she explained.

"It's nice to see you again. I hope that you are feeling better," Anna replied. Brooke nodded. Anna then showed them a large envelope in her hands. "I just came by to give Lucas the paternity results. I wanted to deliver it in person. I haven't opened it yet. I thought Lucas had the right to do it."

She handed it over to Lucas. He gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Anna. I really appreciate it," he said.

"You're welcome. Now if you excuse me, I have to get back to work. But I'll be rooting for you," Anna replied. She then left the café, leaving the Scott family and Brooke.

Lucas could only stare at the envelope. Brooke snapped him out of his daydream. "Aren't you going to open it?" she asked him.

"If I were you, I would wait and do it in front of that lying bitch," Haley suggested. Karen gave her a look. "I'm sorry, but Peyton has gone too far with claiming that Maddie isn't a Scott."

Lucas couldn't help but smile at Haley's suggestion about doing it in front of Peyton. "That is tempting," he said. He let out a sigh and handed it to Brooke. "You read the results. I'm too nervous."

Brooke looked at him surprised. "Are you sure?" she asked him.

Before he could reply, his mother spoke up. "Maybe you should wait until Victoria gets here," she suggested. "I'm sure that she would want to add this argument to your case."

Lucas knew that she had a point. Yet, he didn't want to wait that long. "I've waited three days. I don't want to wait any longer." He turned to Brooke, who had already opened the envelope. Now she was reading the results. "What does it say?" he asked anxiously.

Keith spoke up this time. "Lucas, no matter what those results say, Maddie is still part of our family. And you are still her father."

Lucas nodded. "I know." He then turned back to Brooke. "So what does it say?" he repeated.

Brooke looked at him with a worried look on her face. "I think you should have another talk with Peyton about a custody arrangement."


	17. One Sweet Day?

**A/N**: Thank you for all of the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

**Disclaimer:** Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

**One Sweet Day?**

Lucas marched into the Tree Hill café with the envelope in his hands. He was glad that it was near Peyton's lunch hour as he didn't want to cause a scene. He walked over to the counter as Julian spotted him first. He glared at him as he stormed over to him. Peyton was right behind him. "What the hell do you want now?"

Lucas handed the envelope over to Peyton. "I got a paternity test done. And this proves that Madelyn Elizabeth Scott _is_ my daughter."

"How do we know that you didn't tamper with the results?" Julian snapped as Peyton tried to calm him down.

"Why do you care?" Lucas asked him. "You don't even want to take responsibility for your own kid." Julian was about to respond, but he didn't get the chance. "That kid _was_ your kid, but you just don't want to admit it."

"That's none of your business," Julian exclaimed angrily. "Now you came and gave her what you wanted. If you don't have anything else to say, leave before I throw you out." Lucas was about to leave when Julian spoke up again. "Wait, what do you mean that it _was_ my kid?"

Lucas groaned, knowing that he once again accidently told Brooke's secret. However, he didn't have a chance to since Brooke had entered the café. She held her head up high as she spoke. "It means that you don't have to worry about any complications when the time comes to settle our divorce. Because I had a miscarriage." Julian looked at her surprised. "I'm sure that is what you wanted all along, isn't it? Well, you got your wish, Julian. Of course, I wouldn't have been surprised if you suddenly did want to claim the baby just so you could hurt me more. After all, your girlfriend is doing it."

Peyton just smirked at her as she held up her left hand and flashed the diamond ring at them. "Actually, it's fiancée now. He proposed to me on Monday night." Both Lucas and Brooke were stunned as Peyton wrapped her arms around Julian. "We're planning to get married right after the divorce is final."

Brooke gave them a fake smile. "Congratulations. You two really deserve each other," she replied. She had a few more words for them, but she wanted to keep it to herself until she got outside. "Now if you excuse us, Lucas and I have to go." She didn't say anything else as she left the café. Lucas was right behind her. "I can't believe those two," she exclaimed angrily.

"At least, they are waiting after the divorce is final to get married," Lucas replied.

Brooke was surprised how calm he was. "How come you aren't too upset over this?" she said surprised.

Lucas gave her a smile. "Because I proved that Maddie is_ my_ daughter," he replied. "And now it will be a hell of a lot easier to fight for custody."

Brooke smiled in return. "I never doubted it for a second. Even when I first met her, I could see that she was yours."

Lucas looked at his watch. "Speaking of custody, I'm supposed to pick Victoria up from the airport soon. Do you want to join me?"

Brooke made a face. "Thank you, but I think I'll pass. I'll be seeing her enough over the next couple of weeks. Besides, I promised Haley that I would join her for lunch."

"Will you join us for dinner then?" Lucas asked her. "And of course, Deb is invited too."

Brooke gave him a smile. "I'd love to," she replied. "And I'm sure Deb will too." They then heard a noise. Lucas pulled out his phone and saw that he had a text message. However, he frowned as he read it. She looked at him curiously. "Is anything wrong?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, your mother just wants us to meet at a different location than the airport. That's all." He replied to the message before turning back to Brooke. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?" he asked one final time.

She shook her head. "You go ahead."

They then exchanged good-byes as Lucas climbed into his car. He then looked at the text message again. He was surprised to see that the meeting place was a certain address up in Raleigh. He wondered why the meeting was way up there instead of the airport or even her hotel. He pondered the thought as he drove through the streets and headed onto the highway.

A short while later, Brooke and Haley were sitting in the spacious kitchen of Deb's house. Brooke looked around in amazement. "I can't imagine having a big house like this all to myself."

Haley gave her a smile. "I know what you mean. We've been trying to convince her to move out to someplace smaller like a condo for years, but she doesn't want to give the house up."

"No wonder she wants company," Brooke joked. "I don't know if I would want to live in a big house alone."

"Me either," Haley said. "But I guess she was hoping that she would fill this place up with children. Of course, that all changed once she and Dan divorced. They only lasted a few years."

"So they never had any children?" Brooke asked her curiously.

Haley shook her head. "No, but there were always rumors that he had affairs with other women and they ended up pregnant with his children. These were never confirmed though."

Brooke then went on another subject that had been on her mind. However, she was nervous to ask. "Do you remember when you had to bail me out of jail last month and you asked if I had a miscarriage?" she asked her. Haley nodded. "How did you know when I didn't even tell you yet?"

"Because I had a miscarriage too," Haley replied before she took a big breath. Brooke was quiet as she began her tale. "Just like you and Julian, Nathan and I were high school sweethearts. And we also got married after our high school graduation. The only difference is that our parents gave us their blessings. We didn't expect to get pregnant so soon. Even though we weren't prepared for Jamie, we were willing to make it work. I was _not_ going to have an abortion. We managed to survive the first year pretty well. Once Jamie turned two, I found out that I was pregnant again." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Nathan and I immediately had different opinions on whether we should keep the baby or not. I wanted to keep the baby, but Nathan didn't want another baby so soon. After all, we were still in college. All the arguing, studying and taking care of Jamie became too much for me and I lost the baby just a few short weeks after I had found out."

Brooke gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sorry that happened to you and Nathan," she replied.

"Well, you now know why we have waited so long to try for another child," Haley said. "No offense, but I'm glad that you and Julian were willing to wait to have a baby. Otherwise, your baby would be in the middle of this fight between you and Julian."

Unfortunately, Brooke had to agree. "And the baby would probably be Maddie's stepsibling." Haley frowned in confusion at Brooke's words. "Julian and Peyton are getting married after my divorce is final."

Haley gaped at her. "You're kidding," she exclaimed. She couldn't believe her ears. Brooke shook her head. "Well, I'm not really surprised. They seem perfect for each other. And they don't have to worry about getting permission from Peyton's father. Although, I do know that he wouldn't be proud at what his daughter is doing."

"Is it true that Peyton's parents are dead?" Brooke asked her. "That is what that bitch told me when we first met. But I didn't know if it was a lie or not. I've never felt like I could trust her."

Haley nodded. "Her mom Ellie died from cancer when she was young. So she was raised by her dad Larry. He used to travel a lot, but then he stopped once Maddie was born. He wanted to be near his granddaughter. He was furious when he found out that Peyton left Lucas and Maddie. Yet, he didn't want to believe it either."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "What happened to him?" she asked.

Haley was quiet for a moment. "Well, he and Lucas got into a huge fight about it. And he left the house in the middle of a storm. He was killed in a car accident that night. Lucas blamed himself for his death. In fact, he even blamed himself for Peyton leaving him. It took us awhile to convince him that the car accident wasn't his fault. Or Peyton leaving."

"Poor Maddie. She only has the Scott side as her family," Brooke replied. "No relatives on her mom's side while Jamie has your parents and your brothers and sisters."

Haley knew that she had a point. "But he doesn't see them that much except for holidays and family reunions. Vivian and my brothers have moved out of Tree Hill and started their own families elsewhere. And don't even ask about my sister Taylor. I don't know where the hell she is. So Jamie really just has my parents and Quinn's family."

"And you don't consider Dan family?" Brooke asked her.

Haley shook her head. "Absolutely not. I just hope that Jamie and Maddie never meet him. I don't want him to hurt them." Brooke nodded understandingly. "If I don't see him before the trial, I'll be happy."

After lunch was over, Brooke went back to work at the café. After a long day, she headed back to Deb's house to rest for a little bit before heading over to Lucas's house. Soon, Deb was pulling in front of the Scott house and Maddie was coming out to greet them.

"Hi, Brooke. Hi Grandma Deb," she exclaimed excitedly as she embraced them in each a hug. "Daddy is fighting with Victoria," she informed them.

Deb and Brooke exchanged looks. They knew that it was about the custody case. "Maddie, why don't you and Deb play your favorite game while I check on your dad and my mom?" Brooke suggested.

"But I want to play with you," Maddie moaned.

"I will," Brooke promised. "But I want to see what your dad and my mom are up to first." Maddie was satisfied with that answer and led them inside. Maddie and Deb headed to the game closet while Brooke headed to the kitchen, where Lucas and Victoria were. She noticed how quiet it was as she came in. "Hi, is everything ok?" she asked them.

Lucas glared at Victoria. "Your mother wants me to have another paternity test done!" he exclaimed angrily.

Victoria gave him a look. "You have to. If we use this result, then it will be used against you in court. Dan will accuse that you or Dr. Taggaro tampered with the results. You can't have a friend or relative administer the test."

"She's right, Lucas. Besides, it won't matter when the test shows up with the same results," Brooke pointed out.

Lucas sighed, knowing that she was right. "Fine, I'll call and set up an appointment on Monday."

Brooke gave him a smile. "Great. Now if you excuse me, I have a play date with a little girl named Madelyn Elizabeth Scott."

Victoria suddenly stopped her. "Brooke, I want to thank you for letting me stay in your room. I know how hard it is for you for me to be here."

"Well, I'd rather have you here than Julian and Peyton," Brooke admitted. There was then a short pause before she spoke again. "Mother, do you think we could have lunch together Sunday afternoon?" she asked her.

Victoria gave her a smile. "That sounds lovely." They then quickly made the arrangements before Brooke left to join Maddie and Deb in the other room.


	18. Nobody Taught Us To Quit

**A/N**: Thank you for all of the positive reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese! There's also a poll in my profile for readers to vote on the next story after Behind These Hazel Eyes is complete.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

** Nobody Taught Us To Quit**

Two days later, Brooke spent the morning playing with Maddie before she started to get ready for her lunch with her mother. "Do you want me to drop you off?" Lucas offered as she came out of the bathroom. Brooke and Victoria had decided to eat lunch at Deb's house. She was planning to go to Karen's house so that mother and daughter could have some privacy.

Brooke gave him a grateful smile. "You're sweet, but I think I'll take my car. Besides, who would watch Maddie while you're gone?" she asked. Lucas gave her a look. She then realized her mistake. She gave him an apologetic look. "For a second, I forgot that you have plenty of family and friends around to watch her."

"Can I go with you?" Maddie asked her hopefully.

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "I need some alone time with my mom, but you and your dad can join us next time. I promise." Maddie nodded before she dashed off to play. "With this custody battle going on, it made me think of Jake and Jenny. Would it be too nosy if I ask if Jake has to worry about Jenny's mom coming back?"

Lucas shook his head as he spoke. "I don't think it's nosy at all. You are just curious. Jenny's mom Nikki died when she was a baby."

Brooke suddenly felt sorry for Jake. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. So you two really have been raising your daughters together."

Lucas nodded. "You don't have to apologize though. Nikki wasn't exactly mom material either. She was like Rachel. She was more into partying and drinking than anything else. She and Jake had a one night stand, which resulted in her getting pregnant with Jenny. They wanted to be together for Jenny's sake, but they quickly learned that they weren't right together. Nikki only quit her wild style once she found out that she was pregnant. After Jenny was born, she immediately went back to her partying and drinking, which eventually got her killed."

Brooke sighed. "I know what you mean. I'm always afraid that something will happen to Rachel because of her partying. I probably would have ended up the same way, but my parents didn't let me until I met Julian. But I only did that stuff to make my mother angry. I stopped all of that once we moved to Charlotte."

"I'm glad you did," Lucas said. He then frowned as he added, "I don't know if I could let you near Maddie if you hadn't."

"Even if I hadn't met Maddie, I would have stopped anyway. After all, I wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to my baby," she said as she looked down at her belly.

There was then silence between the two of them before Lucas spoke again. "Do you want to practice what you want to say to your mother?" he asked her.

Brooke smiled gratefully. "Thanks, but I think that I'll be ok. I may be going to confront her, but I'm not going to yell at her. I'm simply going to ask her about her reasons why she didn't tell me about the divorce." She then jumped as they heard a knock at the front door.

Lucas and Brooke looked at each other confused. "Were you guys supposed to have lunch here?" he asked her as they headed towards the front door. Brooke shook her head. Maddie beat them to it and opened the door.

Brooke was horrified to see that it was Sylvia Baker, Julian's mother. She prepared herself for the lecture. Instead, she was surprised when Sylvia embraced her in a hug. She started to speak when Sylvia spoke up first. "Brooke, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you and Julian are getting back together and getting married again. Not to mention you having my grandbaby." Before Brooke could explain, she noticed Lucas and Maddie. "Who is this dashing young gentleman?"

"Sylvia, this is my friend Lucas Scott and his daughter Maddie," Brooke said, doing the introductions. "Lucas, Maddie, this is Sylvia Baker, Julian's mother."

Lucas extended out his hand as Sylvia looked at him. "So you're Peyton's husband? I'm sorry for all the trouble that she has caused. But I'm glad to hear that you two are planning to work things out and my son is taking responsibility for his actions."

Lucas gave her a confused look. "Excuse me?" he asked before realizing that she didn't know the truth about Brooke and Julian.

"Sylvia, may I speak to you in the kitchen for a few moments?" Brooke asked her. Sylvia nodded and followed Brooke into the kitchen. She then took a deep breath before speaking. "Sylvia, I don't know where you have your information from, but Julian and I aren't getting back together." Sylvia gave her a confused look as Brooke continued. "And I'm not pregnant anymore. I had a miscarriage over a month ago."

Sylvia laughed. "That's ridiculous. Why else would Julian call me and tell me that he was getting married?"

Brooke knew that it wasn't her place to tell her. However, she also knew that Sylvia needed to know. "He is getting married, but it isn't to me. It's to Peyton."

Sylvia was shocked. "You mean he is serious about that bitch?" she asked her. Brooke nodded and was about to apologize when her mother-in-law continued. "Well, you are just going to have to talk him out of it."

Brooke was quiet for a moment before she said, "I don't think that will be possible."

Sylvia looked at her angrily. "Are you telling me that you are going to continue this trial separation until it leads to divorce? Do you know how hard it was for Julian when his father and I got divorced?"

Brooke sighed, remembering when she had first met him back in high school. "Of course I do. And I was there for him when he needed a friend to talk to. But a lot of things have changed since then including us. We're not in love anymore."

"Well, I don't believe it for a minute. You two will get back together," Sylvia said as she gave her a smile. Brooke was about to protest when Sylvia continued. "Don't worry about a thing. Just leave everything to me." She then dashed out of the kitchen without letting Brooke say a word.

Brooke groaned in frustration as Lucas came back into the kitchen. "Do you want me to pound Julian for not telling his mother the truth?" he joked.

Brooke couldn't help but smile. "No, I'll take care of it. But you can call Deb and have her tell my mother that I'm going to be a little late for our lunch." Lucas nodded as she pulled out her cell-phone from her purse. She dialed Julian's cell number and waited impatiently for him to answer. She let out a relieved sigh as she heard his voice. However, she didn't let him speak. "What the hell did you tell your mother about us?" she demanded. "Because she congratulated me on getting remarried to you. Care to explain that?"

Julian groaned. _"The other day, I told her about my engagement and I guess she assumed that we were getting remarried."_

"Gee, I wonder why she thought that," Brooke said sarcastically. "Why am I not surprised that you didn't tell your mother the whole story? It doesn't matter anyway. Because she doesn't believe that we're not in love anymore and is going to try and convince us to get back together," she told him.

"_What?"_ Julian asked shocked.

"Yeah, and I suggest you and your whore get out of bed because I'm pretty sure that she's on her way over to your place right now," Brooke warned him before she hung up the phone. She turned around to see Lucas giving her a look. "What?" she asked confused.

"No inappropriate language around Maddie," he gently reminded her.

Brooke immediately apologized. "I'm sorry."

Lucas gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok. I understand. After all, I know what you are going through," he replied.

Brooke smiled in return. "I should head to the house. Thanks for breakfast. I'll see you and Maddie later."

A short while later, Brooke arrived at the house. She walked into the front hall as she heard faint voices. She followed the voices into the living room. She exchanged smiles with Deb and Victoria as they got up from the couch. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I had to take care of something," Brooke told her mother, not wanting to mention about Sylvia.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't mind waiting. Deb kept me company," Victoria replied. "We even planned to have lunch together with Karen tomorrow afternoon during Karen's lunch hour."

"That sounds nice," Brooke said.

"Speaking of Karen, I'll leave you two alone. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about," Deb replied. "It was nice to see you again, Victoria."

Brooke didn't say anything until after Deb had left. "Mother, you know that I didn't ask you here just for lunch, right?"

Victoria nodded. "Yes, I had a suspicion," she said as she and Brooke sat back down on the couch. "What do you want to talk about?"

Brooke took a deep breath before she spoke again. "When were you going to tell me about the divorce?"

Victoria didn't have to ask where she had gotten the information from. She knew that Rachel had told her. She sighed. "Honey, I wanted to tell you so much. But at the time, we weren't talking to each other. Besides, I didn't think that you would care."

"How long have you been divorced? Rachel told me that it was months ago," Brooke said.

"It's been quite a few years. We had problems ever since you left," Victoria replied. "I felt guilty that you left. And your father didn't even care about you." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "So when we divorced, he moved to the other side of the country and I moved to Raleigh."

Brooke looked at her shocked. "Raleigh? As in Raleigh, North Carolina? You have been in North Carolina all this time and you never told me?" she exclaimed angrily as she got off the couch and glared at her mother.

"I wanted to keep my distance from you. But I also hoped that we would someday reconcile," Victoria replied. "Why do you think I'm able to represent Lucas in the first place? Because I'm licensed in North Carolina."

Brooke was still confused. "But Rachel told me that you were still living in New York."

"I still have my penthouse, but I just use it for weekend getaways," Victoria replied. Brooke was quiet. "Look, I know that you're upset with me. But I was just trying to do what you asked. You wanted me to stay out of your life. So I did." Brooke was still silent. "And I don't think you could have done anything about the divorce anyway. That had been coming for a long time. I just didn't want to admit it until you left." Brooke was about to respond when her mother spoke again. "Honey, I'm not blaming you. I want to thank you for opening my eyes and making me realize that I couldn't live that life anymore."

"It must run in the family," Brooke said as she sat down on the couch again. "After all, I'm in a trial separation. Julian and I have only been separated for two months and he is already engaged to Peyton."

Victoria gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, you deserve better than him."

Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "If that's not bad enough, Sylvia Baker is in town and thinks that she can get me and Julian back together." Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I told her that Julian and I aren't in love with each other anymore. But she doesn't believe me."

"Well, I'm sure she'll have fun trying," Victoria replied.

Brooke gave her a smile as she changed the subject. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Are you ready for that lunch now?" she asked her. Victoria nodded. "I'll show you what my mentor has been teaching me then."

"Would that be Lucas or Karen?" her mother teased her.

Brooke smiled. "Actually, that would be Lucas _and_ Maddie," she corrected herself. "Of course, she learned everything from her dad. Now why don't you sit at the kitchen table while I make our lunch?"

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><p>A few days later, Lucas got the results back for the second paternity test. Everyone was relieved when the results came back the same. The family wanted to celebrate. However, Lucas didn't want to celebrate until after the custody case was over and he knew that Maddie would be staying with him for good.<p>

As the days passed, Lucas got more and more nervous as the court date approached closer and closer. However, he tried not to show it as he worked with Victoria to prepare for the custody case. Even though Victoria thought that they had a good case against Peyton, he still had that fear of losing his daughter. He spent as much time as he could with her, knowing that his time might be limited with her.

"Have you seen Lucas lately?" Karen asked Brooke one morning as they worked at the café.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I've wanted to stop by and see them, but he's been so busy with my mother that I don't want to disturb him. He has really been working hard."

Karen nodded understandingly. "Yeah, the only time Keith and I see him is when he picks Maddie up from our house after we have picked her up from preschool or dance class. I'm sure once the custody case is over, things will go back to normal."

"Do you really think that Lucas will be able to win the case against Peyton?" Brooke replied.

"Don't you have faith in your mother?" Karen asked her.

"I can't really judge since I've never seen her in action before," Brooke replied. "However, I have seen the results of her cases in the newspapers and she has won most of them. I do have faith in her. I just hope that the judge knows that Lucas is a good father."

Karen nodded understandingly. "You're afraid that the judge will choose Peyton just because she's her mother? I know. Lucas has been having that fear ever since she filed for custody. I'm sure the judge will be a fair judge and listen to everyone's testimony before making the decision."

Brooke didn't say anything as they heard more customers coming into the café. Karen exchanged smiles with Haley and Lindsey as they walked up to the counter. "Brooke, I'd like you to meet Lindsey Strauss," Haley said, doing the introductions. "Lindsey, this is Brooke Davis."

Lindsey and Brooke exchanged smiles. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you," Lindsey told Brooke.

"It's nice to meet you too," Brooke replied.

"Lindsey, I'm surprised to see you here. I would have thought that you would be handling problems at the high school," Karen said as Brooke gave her a confused look. "Lindsey is the principal of Tree Hill High School."

"So you're Nathan's boss," Brooke said surprised.

Lindsey nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. We get along pretty well though." She then turned back to Karen. "Could I have a coffee to go?" she asked her.

Karen nodded. "Haley, do you want a coffee too?" she asked.

"Actually, I would rather just have a glass of water," Haley replied. Karen and Brooke exchanged looks, but took their orders before she and Lindsey thanked them. They then headed out of the door. Haley then turned to Lindsey. "So now that you have met her, are you going to help us?" she asked.

Lindsey gave her a look. "I would have to see them together before I agree to your plan," she replied.

"Well, believe me. Once you see her and Lucas together, I know you will agree that they are meant to be together," Haley assured her. "But we should wait until after the custody trial to set the plan in motion. Lucas has enough on his plate right now." Lindsey couldn't help but agree.


	19. Lifetime Piling Up

**A/N**: Thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

** Lifetime Piling Up**

On the morning of the trial, Lucas was a nervous wreck. He had hardly slept the night before. He was too worried about the custody hearing. He had faith in Victoria, but he also knew that Peyton would do everything possible to get custody.

As he pushed back the covers, the smell of breakfast reached him. He frowned. Maddie was the only other one in the house. He then started to panic, thinking that Maddie was trying to make breakfast over the stove by herself. He hurried downstairs and into the kitchen. To his relief, it was Brooke. Maddie was sitting at the table, already dressed and eating her bowl of cereal. They exchanged smiles as he greeted them.

"Good morning. I hope you don't mind, but I thought I would make breakfast for you today," Brooke told him.

Lucas gave her a grateful smile as he said, "Thanks for the offer, Brooke. But I'm not hungry."

"Is it because you have to talk to Mommy and the judge about me?" Maddie asked him curiously.

Even though Lucas had kept the custody trial a secret from her, Victoria had advised him that it was best to tell her just in case Peyton did win custody. After a little thought, he had finally agreed. Brooke had been with him and she had helped him explain the situation in words that the little girl would understand. To their annoyance, she had already been informed of what was happening by Peyton during one of her visits at the school. Maddie had then told him that she wanted to see her mother more, but didn't want to lose him either. Lucas had promised her that she wouldn't.

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, it is," he admitted. "But I'm going to do my best to not get angry at her."

"You are just going to listen to her, right?" Maddie asked him.

Lucas nodded. "I promise." He knew it was going to be tough, but he was willing to try for his daughter. "Now finish up your breakfast before your carpool is ready to pick you up," he told her. It was Jake's turn to do carpool that week. He was planning to drive over to the courthouse afterwards to support Lucas. He had a feeling a lot of people were planning to watch the trial. For once, Maddie didn't obey his orders. "What's wrong, Maddie?"

Maddie was quiet for a moment. "Daddy, will I still get to see you if Mommy wins?" she asked.

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "Of course you will. It just won't be every day like this." However, he could tell that she still wasn't convinced. He could see that she was getting upset so he embraced her in a tight hug. "Hey, I don't want you to worry about this, ok? You just concentrate on having fun with your friends today. And Victoria and I will talk to your mom and the judge about whether you can stay here or if you have to go and live with Mommy."

Maddie just nodded as she held onto her father. After a few more moments, they finally pulled away. "Why don't you go and brush your teeth?" Lucas asked her. "I'm sure your friends will be here any minute."

Maddie didn't say anything as she climbed out of the chair and headed out of the kitchen. Lucas let out a huge sigh as he sat down in another chair. "Man, she is really caught in the middle right now. I don't know what to do."

Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry. Everything will work out. You'll see."

Lucas was doubtful. However, he didn't say anything as he started to eat his breakfast. Brooke was happy to see that he changed his mind and she soon joined him. They then heard a knock at the front door. Brooke got up from her chair and walked through the house to answer the door. "Maddie, your carpool is here," she called up the stairs. She then pulled the door open and greeted Jake, Jenny and Jamie as Maddie came down to the first floor. There were quick hellos and good-byes before Jake and the children headed to the car.

After Lucas ate breakfast, he headed upstairs to take a shower and change his clothes. As he did the tasks, he couldn't help but think of the memories he had with his little girl. He hated the thought that he might not be able to see his daughter every day. However, he knew it was a possibility. Yet, he didn't care. He was going to fight to make sure that Maddie stayed with him.

A couple of hours later, Brooke and Lucas were at the courthouse, waiting for the court officer to call Lucas in. It wasn't long before Victoria arrived. They greeted each other as she walked over to them. Victoria could tell immediately that Lucas was nervous and she gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry. We have everything prepared to go up against Peyton and win continued custody of Maddie," she assured him.

Lucas nodded. "I know."

Victoria then turned to her daughter. "Brooke, why don't you go on in? I need to talk to Lucas alone for a few moments," she told her. Brooke nodded understandingly and left the two. She waited until she went in the courtroom before she spoke. "Lucas, I want to remind you that you _must_ control your temper during Peyton's testimony or anybody else's testimony. I know that it's going to be hard, but it is very important to keep your composure. Judges don't approve of outbursts."

Lucas nodded. He had been told of the rules before. "I know." They then turned to see Peyton, Julian and Dan walking through the door. Lucas glared at Dan as they walked past them and over to a bench.

Nobody said anything as they waited impatiently for their names to be called. Finally, they heard their names. Victoria and Lucas let Peyton, Julian and Dan walk in first. Victoria then turned to Lucas. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

Lucas took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, I'm ready," he replied before walking into the courtroom. Victoria was right behind him. As he walked down the aisle, he was surprised to see how many people were sitting in the audience. He gave a small smile to his family and friends who were sitting in front of the audience, right behind where he and Victoria would be sitting. Even Lily had been able to get out of her classes and drive to Tree Hill to support her brother. The only one missing out of his family beside the children was Haley. She was going to be a character witness for Lucas.

After a few more moments, everyone started to stand up since Judge Turner was entering the courtroom. "All be seated," he told the audience. Everyone did as the judge looked at his file. "Now we are here to discuss the request of changing the custody arrangement of the minor Madelyn Scott, correct?"

"Yes, your honor," Peyton and Lucas replied.

"I can see that both parents are present and both have a lawyer to represent them," Judge Turner noted. "Alright, Ms. Sawyer, you can make your opening statement first."

Dan stood up and took a deep breath before speaking. "Your honor, my client is asking the simple request of being allowed to see her daughter and have a close relationship with her. She has had the unfortunate experience of losing her mother at a young age. So she didn't want that to happen to her own daughter."

"My client isn't denying that she left her husband and baby girl when she was just a few months old. Or that she gave full custody over to her ex-husband. But you have to understand that she was young. She had just gotten out of college and she wasn't ready to be a mother. However, that didn't mean that she wanted to cut herself out of her daughter's life forever. She was willing to have visitation rights and her ex-husband allowed her to have them."

"Over the last four years, she has tried several attempts to make contact with her ex-husband to see her daughter. However, they were all unsuccessful because not only her husband, but his family as well, has denied her access to see her daughter. They made her feel unwelcomed; not just in their home, but in the community as well. They have done everything possible in their power to make sure that mother and daughter don't reunite. My client hopes that you will grant her request so she can see her daughter more. Thank you." Dan then finished and sat back down in his seat.

Lucas couldn't believe his ears. He hoped that Victoria could top that. He watched as she stood up and started her speech. "Your honor, there is a perfectly justifiable reason why my client doesn't want Ms. Sawyer to have full custody of their daughter. My fellow colleague has failed to mention that my client was also young and fresh out of college. He also was unprepared when he heard the news that Ms. Sawyer was pregnant. Yet, he was willing to accept responsibility for the baby. He thought Ms. Sawyer was too as she gave no indication to my client that she didn't want the child."

"So it was a complete surprise to my client when she left him to be a single parent. She didn't contact him until a year later. My client thought that she wanted to reconcile, but he was served with divorce papers instead. He was even more surprised when he saw that she gave him full custody and only wanted visitation rights. He was heartbroken, but knew that he had to keep it together for his daughter."

"My client never heard from her again. That is until she returned to Tree Hill a couple of months ago. So it shouldn't have been a surprise to Ms. Sawyer that he or his family wouldn't let her see the child. She may have had visitation rights, but she never came back to visit her daughter. She never sent her a birthday card or Christmas present either in the time she was absent and she never showed that she cared for her daughter at all. My client has been there for his daughter through her whole life. Her mother hasn't. It isn't right to take her away from her father. Thank you, your honor." Victoria then sat down back and Lucas looked at her impressed.

"We will now hear the witnesses. Are the two parties ready?" Judge Turner asked the lawyers and the clients.

"Yes, your honor," Dan replied first.

Victoria nodded. "Yes, your honor," she added. Lucas then knew the real battle would begin. He knew that it would be messy, but he knew that it would be worth it in the end. However, he didn't realize that the war would be harder than he first thought.


	20. The Trial Begins

**A/N**: Thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty<strong>

** The Trial Begins**

"What was your life like growing up?" Dan asked Peyton. She was the first witness that he had called up to the stand.

"My mother died when I was little from cancer. So it was just me and my dad. Don't get me wrong. I loved him dearly, but I wanted a mother. I didn't have that mother-daughter bond that other kids had. I never had a mother who was able to supervise field trips. I never had a chance to bake cookies or go shopping with my mother."

Lucas hated that she was playing the sympathy card, but he had been warned by Victoria that she would. He waited anxiously until she was done giving examples. Finally, Dan asked the next question. "What was it like when you met Lucas?"

"I didn't really get to know him until our freshman year of college. I wasn't sure about him at first, but I soon felt like I could open up to him about my life; especially my mother," Peyton replied. "He told me that he wished he knew how I felt since he had such a wonderful relationship with his own mother."

Lucas quietly groaned to himself. He had forgotten that he had said that when they had first started talking about her mother. Of course, he never thought that she would use his words against him. "What happened once he introduced you to his family?" Dan asked her.

"From Lucas's wonderful stories about his family, I was eager to meet them. But from the moment I met them, we didn't get along at all; especially me and his sister-in-law. She didn't trust me and I didn't know why. I didn't do anything to her except be nice to her," Peyton explained. "I understand that she was trying to protect him, but he could do that himself. He certainly proved it."

"What do you mean by that?"

Lucas then knew that his past history of assault and battery would be brought up. Peyton didn't answer for a few moments. "Well, there were times where he would use violence instead of words to solve problems."

Victoria suddenly stood up. "Objection!" she exclaimed angrily. "Any history of violence is past the stature of limitation. All of these incidents happened years ago while they were in college. So there is no point in bringing them up now."

Dan just smirked at her. "Actually, there is one recent incident."

Lucas looked at Victoria. She maintained her composure and did well not to show her surprise. "If that is true, then why wasn't he arrested?" she demanded.

"Because unlike Chris Keller, Mr. Baker was kind enough not to press charges," Dan replied. "But this shows that Lucas Scott doesn't know how to control his temper. If he's done it once, he will do it again. The child will be safer with her mother."

Lucas glared at him. He was ready to pounce on him, but Victoria quickly responded back. "That's ridiculous. There has been no evidence of child abuse in the whole time that the child has been with my client."

"How do we know that won't still happen?" Dan asked her.

"If your client was so worried, she wouldn't have left her daughter with my client," Victoria pointed out.

Judge Turner suddenly pounded the gavel and the two lawyers became quiet. "That's enough from both of you. Mr. Scott, you've made your point. Why don't you continue with your questioning?"

"Thank you, your honor," Dan replied as Victoria sat down in her chair again. "Ms. Sawyer, what were your plans after marriage?"

"Well, Lucas and I had a few arguments about that. I wanted to wait a few years and explore the world before having children. He wanted to have children right away. He eventually agreed with me that it would be the best to wait. Then he stabbed me in the back by getting me pregnant."

"That's not true," Lucas protested. Victoria gestured him to calm down. He then remembered her warning. He quickly apologized for his outburst. "I'm sorry, your honor. It won't happen again."

"It'd better not," Judge Turner said before he turned back to Peyton. "Please continue."

"I really did want children, but I didn't want them right away. I didn't want to disappoint Lucas, but the pregnancy was hard on me. I still had school to focus on. I almost didn't graduate. I hate to admit it, but I was happy when Maddie was out of me. I love my little girl." There was then a short pause before she spoke again. "But I hated the sleepless nights, the baby spitting up on me all the time and changing the dirty diapers."

Lucas leaned over to Victoria and whispered, "I never heard her complain about it."

"I wanted to enjoy the new life that I had, but I couldn't help thinking about my dream to explore the world. So I made the difficult decision to leave Lucas for a little while." She then turned to the judge. "That's the reason why I chose to give him full custody and I would have visitation rights. I wanted to find myself before I would go back to him. I wasn't expecting to be gone for so long, but I fell in love with another man."

"Ask her if that was before or after she sent me divorce papers," Lucas whispered in Victoria's ear. She just nodded. She could tell that he was getting more and more anxious with what Peyton was saying.

Lucas didn't want to listen to Peyton's lies anymore, but he knew that he had to. He couldn't wait until Victoria would have a chance to ask her her questions. Dan went on with his questions. "So you did want updates on your daughter?"

Peyton nodded. "Yes, but I didn't get anything. I tried to send birthday cards and Christmas letters to the address, but they were always sent back. It was the same with money. The only way that I did know what was going on with my daughter was Lucas's grandparents." Lucas instantly knew which grandparents she was talking about. Victoria turned to him curious. He whispered to her that it was Dan's parents. "They were the only ones who really treated me like I was part of the family." There was another short pause before she spoke again. "They were also the ones who told me about my dad's car accident."

"Did you go to the funeral?" Dan asked her.

Peyton nodded. "I did, but I slipped in without anyone knowing I was there. Even though it was _my_ dad's funeral, I knew that I wouldn't be welcome there. I then left Tree Hill and returned back to my new home. Lucas's grandparents continued to send me updates and pictures of my daughter since nobody else would. I then realized that I was ready to be a mother again."

"No more questions," Dan said as he sat down back in his chair.

Victoria then stood up and walked over to the stand. "You said that you love your daughter. What about my client? Did you ever consider his feelings when you decided to leave him and the baby?"

"Yes, I did," she confessed. "However, I knew that he wouldn't understand. He was the one who wanted children right away. I didn't."

Victoria nodded understandingly. "Did you ever tell my client that you were unhappy about the duties of a mother?"

"No, I didn't," Peyton admitted. "I thought that it was just post-partum depression. So I went to get some help. My doctor told me that it was more than that. She suggested for me to go on a vacation."

"So you decided to just leave your husband and new baby without any warning at all?" Victoria asked her.

"I know it wasn't the best way, but I knew that he would try and stop me if he found out beforehand," Peyton replied.

"You said that my client, and I quote "stabbed you in the back by getting you pregnant." If you weren't ready to have children, why didn't you use some form of birth control?" Victoria asked.

"I was on birth control pills," Peyton began. "But I got sick and it stopped working. My doctor said that it happens pretty often."

Victoria moved onto her next question. "Five years is a long time. Why now?"

"Because I couldn't stand another day without my daughter," Peyton replied. "Once I had gotten the recent Christmas pictures, I could see how much she was changing from a toddler to a beautiful little girl. She is going to be entering kindergarten this fall." She then turned to the judge again. "I realized how much I was missing out on and want to be a part of it again."

"What about the last four years?" Victoria asked as Peyton turned back to her. "Do you know your daughter?" She didn't let Peyton answer. "Of course you do. You have visited her behind my client's back after he told you not to."

Dan stood up. "Objection!" he exclaimed angrily. "There is no proof of that."

Judge Turner turned to Victoria. "Do you have any witnesses that can testify to your claim?"

"No, I don't," Victoria confessed. "The only witnesses are too young to testify."

"If you can't prove it, then move on," Judge Turner said.

Victoria then started asking Peyton simple questions about Maddie. To Lucas's annoyance, she answered every one of them correctly. Both Judge Turner and Dan were running out of patience and Victoria was running out of questions. "Ok, that's enough for now. I think it's time for a break. We'll resume this trial in an hour," Judge Turner told the crowd before he banged his gavel.

Victoria and Lucas were soon in Victoria's office. So were Keith, Karen, Deb and Nathan. Brooke, Haley and Lily had gone back to the café for lunch. Victoria looked at the Scott family "Did any of you know that Lucas's grandparents were sending Peyton updates about Maddie?" Victoria asked them.

Karen shook her head. "No, but we hardly ever hear from them except for birthdays and holidays."

"I'm not surprised that they did betray us like this," Keith said. "They really did like Peyton and was upset when she left Tree Hill."

"Well, this certainly shows that there is a possibility that Peyton knew Maddie's favorite things before she started visiting Maddie at the school," Victoria replied. "Is there anything your grandparents wouldn't know about Maddie?"

Karen shook her head. "No, Royal and Mae know their great-grandchildren well. They know their favorite colors, food and toys. Even though they don't see Jamie and Maddie that often, they know them."

Victoria thought for a moment. "And we don't know how much Maddie told her." She turned to Keith. "Do your parents know about Brooke?"

Karen answered her question. "Yes, they know of her. But I didn't tell them much about her. I wanted to respect her privacy by not telling anybody about her troubles with Julian."

"So how are we going to prove that Peyton doesn't know Maddie as well as she thinks that she does?" Lucas said. "Because we certainly can't let Maddie testify. She's too young."

"You let me worry about that, Lucas," Victoria told him.


	21. Believe Me, I'm Lying

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty One<strong>

** Believe Me, I'm Lying**

Soon, Peyton was back on the stand. Victoria cleared her throat before she started to speak. "It's clear that you know your daughter's likes and dislikes. But who has always been there for her? Who tucks her in at night? Who takes care of her when she's sick?"

"It's her new best friend now, Brooke Davis," Peyton replied. Victoria didn't even get a chance to ask as Peyton continued. "She is Lucas's new roommate, not to mention his new employee. He just let her move into the house without even thinking about the safety of his daughter."

Victoria was ready to fight back. "Are you aware that Maddie had already met Ms. Davis by the time that my client had asked her to move in and was comfortable being around her?"

"No, I wasn't," Peyton admitted. "Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised. Maddie warms up to almost anybody instantly. And that shouldn't happen. Maddie shouldn't be talking to strangers."

Victoria nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right. She shouldn't. So that would include talking to you, correct? After all, you haven't been around her until recently, right?"

"I have tried to contact her before, but the Scott family didn't let me get near her," Peyton protested.

"So you had to do it in secret?" Victoria asked her. "Maddie didn't know who you were at first, right?"

"No, that's not true," Peyton replied. "At first, I had watched her from afar. It was only after Lucas told me that he wouldn't allow me to see her when I started making my presence known to her." Lucas knew that that statement was a lie. "As for Maddie not knowing who I was, that's also not true. She had seen me in pictures before, but she wasn't completely sure until I showed her a picture that was taken at the hospital the day she was born. She then believed that I was her mother."

"Is it true that you forced not only Maddie, but her cousin Jamie and friend Jenny not to tell anybody about your visits to the school?" Victoria asked her.

"No, it's not," Peyton replied. Lucas wondered what her excuse was this time. "I didn't _force_ anybody. I simply asked her if she could keep our meeting a secret until I could find the right time to tell Lucas. She was willing to do it. As for Jamie and Jenny, Jamie wanted to tell his mom. But Maddie was the one who convinced him that it had to be a secret. And Jenny was willing to keep it a secret for her best friend."

Victoria decided to change the subject to Lucas. "Is it true that you claimed that my client wasn't the father of Maddie?"

"No, I didn't," Peyton replied. "At the time, I thought that he wasn't."

Brooke then realized that there was a possibility that Julian been having an affair with Peyton even before she had found out about it. She really didn't want to hear anymore and quietly excused herself before leaving the courtroom. She ignored the confused and concerned looks of the Scott family as she went out into the hall.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Karen hurrying to catch up with her. "It's tough watching the trial, isn't it?" she asked her as they sat down on a bench. "Especially when someone is telling lies to the judge."

Brooke sighed. "Do you think that Peyton was having an affair with Julian while she was still with Lucas?"

"Honestly, I don't think so. I think she said it just to hurt him; just like she did when she claimed that Lucas wasn't Maddie's father," Karen replied. "I think she is willing to say anything to get custody of Maddie." She then let out a sigh herself as she added, "It looks like she is learning from the best."

Brooke knew that she meant Dan. "I think she had a teacher before Dan. After all, she met Julian before she caught up with him."

Karen knew that was true. "You look like you need to rest. Why don't you go back to the house and relax for a few hours? Then maybe you could pick up Maddie for me? I was supposed to, but I have a feeling that this trial will go on all afternoon," she replied.

Brooke managed to give her a smile as she gave her her answer. "I'd love to."

A few hours later, Brooke was walking down the school hallway and to Maddie's classroom. She stood in the doorway and looked for Maddie. It didn't take long to find her as most of the students had already been picked up by their parents. However, Jamie and Jenny were still there.

Maddie was coloring a picture at one of the tables in a corner of the room. She looked up for a second and gave Brooke a wide smile. She then put her crayon down and ran towards her. Brooke held out her arms and Maddie went into them. She embraced her in a big hug. "Hey, did you have fun in preschool today?" Brooke asked her as Jamie and Jenny came over to them. Maddie made a face as Jamie and Jenny greeted Brooke. Brooke noticed the face and frowned as she asked, "What happened?"

Before Maddie could answer, an unfamiliar voice spoke. Brooke turned to the woman. "You must be Brooke. Maddie talks about you all the time. I'm Ms. Richards, her teacher," Ms. Richards said.

"It's nice to meet you," Brooke replied.

"I was hoping to talk to Mr. Scott, but I should have known that he was busy," Ms. Richards said.

"Did something happen?" Brooke asked concerned. Ms. Richards was quiet for a moment. Brooke then knew that she wanted to discuss it in private. "Maddie, why don't you go and finish your picture while I talk to your teacher?"

Maddie sighed, but she obediently walked back over to the table and sat down in the chair. "No offense, but I really should be discussing this incident with Mr. Scott," Ms. Richards said.

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Incident? What incident?" she asked curiously.

Ms. Richards sighed before answering. "Maddie is usually so well-behaved, but today she started fighting with one of the other kids. From what I can understand, Maddie became upset because the other kid told her that she was going to end up with her mom," she explained. "I understand that she's worried, but fighting isn't the answer."

"I'll talk to her. And I'll tell her dad," Brooke said. "I'm sure it won't happen again."

"I hope not because I would hate to testify and tell the judge about her fighting with her classmates," Ms. Richards replied. Brooke looked at her confused. "I'm supposed to testify for the custody trial. And that's all I'm going to say about that."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Well, I guess we should get going. It was nice meeting you." She then turned to Maddie. "Are you ready to go?" she asked her as Maddie came over to them. She nodded. "Great. Go get your stuff together and say good-bye to Ms. Richards and your friends," she instructed her.

Maddie grabbed her stuff that she needed before she and her teacher exchanged good-byes. She then followed Brooke out of the door. Neither said anything until after they were on the road. "Brooke, I'm sorry. Are you going to tell Daddy?" Maddie asked quietly.

Brooke didn't answer for a moment. "Why don't we go somewhere to talk? How about the River Court? It's your favorite place."

Maddie shook her head. "No, it's not. It's Daddy's favorite place. Mine is the park. I love the swings."

"We'll go to the park then," Brooke replied.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the park. Soon, the two were on the swings. After awhile, Brooke ran out of energy and couldn't pump anymore. So she slowed down. "Ok, I think we need a break. Why don't we go over by the bench and let other kids have a chance at the swings?" Maddie nodded as she slowed down and got off of her swing. They walked through the playground until they reached a bench. They sat down before Brooke spoke again. "I can see why you love this place. It's perfect for a little girl like you."

"Don't tell Daddy. I don't want to hurt his feelings," Maddie said.

Brooke gave her a comforting smile. "It'll be our secret." There was a short pause before she decided that it was time to talk about the incident at school. "Your feelings were hurt today, weren't they?"

Maddie nodded. "Chuck said that Mommy will get custody of me, no matter what. His mommy was even helping Mommy by telling the judge about their life without his daddy."

Brooke then realized that Peyton was recruiting single mothers to show how their children's lives were better without the father. She had a feeling that Sylvia Baker was one of them. She snapped out of her daydream as she realized that she had to focus on Maddie. "Well, Chuck's mom may be helping yours, but that doesn't mean that the judge will decide that you have to move in with her." Before Maddie could protest, Brooke went on. "Even if he does, that doesn't mean you should fight with Chuck. That's not using that Maddie charm for good."

"How do I use it for good?" Maddie asked as she pulled a thoughtful expression. She then asked, "I use my words?"

Brooke nodded. "That's right. You use your words. Fighting is never the answer. Promise me that you won't do it again."

"I promise," Maddie replied. "Does this mean that you won't tell Daddy what I did?"

Brooke tried not to laugh. "Nice try, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to. But I'll try to get your dad to let you off with a warning instead of a punishment."

Maddie managed a smile. "Thanks, Brooke. You're the best."

Brooke returned her smile. She then thought for a moment. "What do you say we get out of here and get some ice cream?" she asked her. Maddie nodded eagerly. "Then let's go." They then got up from the bench and headed back to the car.

When they arrived home, Lucas was already there, waiting for them. After they exchanged greetings, he sent Maddie off to play so that he and Brooke could talk. He looked at her concerned. "Are you ok? You left the courtroom so quickly during Peyton's testimony. It made me wonder if you were alright. My mom said that you were, but I just want to make sure."

Brooke gave him a comforting smile. "I'm fine. We have a bigger problem though," she told him. "It's about Maddie." Lucas didn't even have a chance to ask before Brooke explained what had happened earlier.

Lucas sighed. "I should have known that Peyton had asked Chuck's mom for help. She never did like me. Or Haley. I'm surprised that Jamie is friends with that boy."

Brooke could tell from his tone that something wasn't right. "Was the trial any better after I left?"

"It was a catfight between Peyton and your mom," Lucas replied. "Both Dan and Judge Turner had to stop them a few times. After Peyton took the stand, it was her doctor." Brooke gave her a confused look. He cleared the matter up. "It's the one who told her that she was losing herself because she had become a mother so quickly. After that, the judge wanted to stop for the day. So we're going to continue tomorrow with more of Peyton's witnesses."

"That sounds like fun," Brooke replied.

"I can't wait until I can take the stand or my character witnesses. Haley's dying to tell Dan off," Lucas told her.

Brooke tried not to smile. "I bet she is." She then looked at him. "Are you sure you don't want me to take the stand? I think I can really help you by telling people how Peyton was when she was in my life."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks, but you're already helping me by helping Maddie." There was then a short pause before he spoke. "I don't think I can really be a parent to her right now." He then corrected himself. "Not a disciplining one anyway."

Brooke turned red. "Well, I gave her the lecture. But I told her that you would let her off with a warning this time."

Lucas laughed. "I suppose she can get away with this one this time."

"Thank you, Daddy," Maddie called as she came into the room. She embraced her father in a hug as she told him, "I won't do it again."

"It'd better not," Lucas replied as he pulled away. "Because I won't tolerate that type of behavior." He then turned to Brooke and added, "Or you falling for that Maddie charm."

Brooke pretended to be offended before she gave him a smile. "You know me. I can't resist falling for that irresistible Maddie charm. I promise you that it won't happen again."

Lucas smiled in return. "I'll hold you to it."


	22. A Blast from the Past

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Two<strong>

** A Blast from the Past**

Another busy day at the café was winding down. Brooke was relieved since Rachel was calling her. Lucas told her to go ahead and answer it and he would start cleaning up. Once she got back, he could tell that she was upset about the conversation that she just had with her best friend. "Is something wrong?" he asked her in a concerned tone.

Brooke sighed. "Rachel has a new boyfriend. I didn't realize that she did until now. Apparently, she had a one night stand after she returned to New York after my birthday weekend. They parted ways, but they couldn't stop thinking about each other. So they decided to continue seeing each other."

Lucas couldn't find what the problem was. "Is there something wrong with that?" he asked her with a puzzled expression.

"She thinks that he is _the one_ for her. How can she believe that after only knowing him for a couple of weeks?" Brooke exclaimed. "Especially since she met him in a bar and had a one night stand with him."

"Well, maybe he is," Lucas replied. "You never know."

Brooke knew that was true. "But I know Rachel," she protested. "And she isn't one who would stay in a permanent relationship with someone. She likes her drinking and partying too much for that."

Lucas frowned. "That's not what she told me. She told me that she would love to stop her wild lifestyle so that she could find that one person she wants to spend the rest of her life with." Brooke was surprised. "She told me that she thought that her partying and drinking was fun. But she didn't want to do it for the rest of her life."

Brooke was so confused. "When did she tell you all this?"

"It was at your birthday party while you were opening your birthday presents," Lucas replied. "She said that you really showed her what she has been missing out on. Especially with Maddie."

Brooke shook her head in amazement. "Wow, I had no idea that I had inspired her so much," she said. "She always talked about how she didn't want to marry or have children. She thought that they were both too complicated to handle."

Lucas laughed. "Well, I can see why she would think that. It is challenging to keep a marriage together and raise a family." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Don't tell anybody that I said this, but there was one time at the beginning of the pregnancy where I didn't want Maddie."

Brooke looked at him shocked as she asked, "What? Why?"

Lucas let out a sigh. "Because I didn't want to admit that I agreed with Peyton. I thought that we were too young."

Brooke frowned as she said, "But I thought you wanted a family right away."

"Even though I really wanted a family right away, I then realized that we could end up like my parents," Lucas replied with a slight sigh. "They married young and started their family right away. But then they soon started to argue and it went into a nasty custody battle. I didn't want my child to go through what I did."

"You and Peyton aren't your parents," Brooke pointed out. "I'm sure every first time parents feel that they aren't ready to be parents."

"If I hadn't pushed Peyton away, I wouldn't be fighting for custody of Maddie," Lucas replied. Brooke wanted to protest, but he didn't let her. "I may not have gotten Peyton pregnant on purpose, but I am responsible for this mess."

"No, you're not," Brooke protested. She couldn't believe that he was blaming himself. "You can't give up yet. The judge hasn't even heard your side of the story yet. Or your witnesses."

Lucas knew that she was right. He had to keep fighting for Maddie. "You can't tell anyone about this. I haven't even told Victoria about it."

"Lucas, you have to," Brooke replied. "Otherwise, it's going to look bad for both you and her."

"Why do you think that I've been keeping this a secret? I don't want it to be used against me," Lucas said. "Peyton will get Maddie for sure if that got out." Brooke again was about to protest when he stopped her. "Promise me that you won't tell anybody."

Brooke let out a sigh before she spoke. "I promise."

There was an awkward silence before Lucas spoke again. "Why don't you go home?" he suggested. "I'll close up the café."

Brooke could tell that he wanted some alone time. "Ok, I'll see you tomorrow," she replied as she grabbed her purse. "Good night."

"Good night, Brooke," Lucas said as he started wiping down the counter. He then heard her departing footsteps. A little while later, he heard the door open again. "I'm sorry, but we're closed," he said, not looking up from his work. He hoped that the customer wasn't Peyton. He really couldn't deal with her right now. In fact, he wasn't in the mood to deal with anybody right then.

"Actually, I was hoping you would be in the mood to play some basketball with an old friend," a familiar voice replied.

Lucas turned around and gave a wide smile to his friend. "Mouth, what are you doing here?" he asked as he embraced him in a tight hug.

Mouth smiled in return. "Skills called and told me about your custody trial with Peyton," he told him. "I came up from Omaha as soon as I could."

"You should have brought your family with you," Lucas replied. Mouth had a wife Millie and two young children, the oldest who was around Maddie's age. "You know how much we love having Millie and the kids around. Especially Maddie and Jenny. They love playing with Bridget. And I'm sure we could find someone for little Edward to play with."

Mouth nodded understandingly. "I know, but I didn't think it would be the right time to bring them. After all, you're going through a rough time right now. How is the trial going anyway? Or can you even discuss it with me?"

Lucas sighed. "All I can tell you that it doesn't look like I'm winning. But we haven't had my witnesses on the stand yet and I won't have a chance to testify until Monday. After three days of listening to Peyton's witnesses, the judge thought that we all needed a break." He then quickly changed the subject. "So how long are you planning to visit for?"

"I'm just staying for the weekend," Mouth replied. "I'm planning to stay at a motel."

Lucas frowned. "Motel? No way. You are staying with me and Maddie. The guestroom is still available. Brooke is still at Deb's house." He then frowned as he thought for a moment. "I did mention Brooke Davis in my emails, right?"

Mouth nodded. "Yeah, you did. Will I get a chance to meet her sometime this weekend?" he asked.

Lucas gave him a smile. "I'm sure you will. After all, she helps take care of the café. You would meet her tonight, but Maddie is with Jake and Jenny until I come for her," he replied. "But it's more than likely that Maddie will sleep over there. So it will be just us guys. I'm sure that you won't mind on your first night."

Mouth shook his head. "No, but can I get something to eat first? You don't mind, do you?"

Lucas gave him a look. "Of course not. Sit down and let me make you something while we catch up."

Early next morning, Mouth was watching Lucas shoot hoops at the River Court when they heard another car pull up. They turned for a moment and weren't surprised when they saw Nathan climbing out of the vehicle. He gave a wide smile to them as he walked towards the court. "Hey, I heard that you were coming our way. How have you been? How's the family?"

Mouth smiled in return. "Everyone's doing well. How are Haley and Jamie?"

"They're doing great," Nathan replied before he turned to his brother. "Speaking of Haley, do you know where she went? I had to drop off Jamie at Jake's before coming here. Apparently, Haley was up before I was and left a note saying that she had to run an errand. I was just wondering if you knew where she had gone to."

Lucas frowned. "No, I don't. But I wouldn't worry. She can handle herself." Nathan thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "So how about one-on-one?" he challenged. "Or are you too scared that you will lose against me?"

Nathan laughed in response as he replied, "You wish."

* * *

><p>"I can't thank you enough for coming with me to the doctor's appointment," Haley told Brooke as they waited for Dr. Copeland to come back with Haley's results. "I didn't want to tell Nathan about it just in case I was wrong and the signs show a different result."<p>

Brooke gave her a comforting smile. "The signs shouldn't be wrong. We have all been noticing that you haven't been acting like your usual self," she told her. "In fact, I think you're glowing right now."

Haley returned the smile for only a moment before becoming quiet. "Well, I didn't want to say anything to you because I knew that you were still grieving for your baby," she admitted.

Brooke nodded understandingly. "I know. And I appreciate your concern for my feelings. It does still hurt. But I'm slowly getting past the pain." She then corrected herself. "Actually, it's the pain of losing my baby and the hurt from what Julian did to me."

Haley didn't have a chance to respond as Dr. Copeland came into the room. He gave them a wide smile as he told them the results. "Well, I want to congratulate you, Mrs. Scott. You are definitely pregnant." Haley and Brooke exchanged wide smiles as Dr. Copeland spoke again. "It looks like you are five weeks along."

Haley's face suddenly fell. Brooke saw how upset she was, but she didn't say anything. She waited until they were out of the doctor's office before speaking. "Are you alright?" she asked her.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, I was just hoping that I was a little further along."

Brooke was confused at first. Then she realized the reason why Haley was concerned. "How far along were you before you had your miscarriage?" she asked in a soft voice.

Haley didn't even have to think before she answered. "I found out that I was pregnant when I was just a month along. I lost the baby two weeks later."

Brooke felt that she had to cheer her up. "Well, that's not going to happen this time. You are going to make it through your pregnancy," she assured her. "After all, you don't have to worry about your college classes anymore."

"No, but I'm still a mom to an energetic four-and-a-half year old," Haley reminded her. "And I still have to teach my students." Brooke knew that she had a point. Haley then added, "Not to mention testifying at the trial."

Brooke frowned. "Why would you be stressing out about that? I thought you were all ready for that."

"I would be if Lucas wasn't going first," Haley replied as they reached the parking lot. "I'm really worried about him going up against Dan." Brooke nodded understandingly. She had never actually met him, but she saw why his family stayed away from him. "Do you mind if we stop by the café and have some of Karen's food? I'm starving."

Brooke gave her a smile. "Of course we can."

It wasn't long before Brooke and Haley were walking into the café. They exchanged smiles with Karen and Deb as they walked up to the counter. "Haley, you're just the person that we want to speak to. Are you planning to come with us this year for our usual Mother's Day spa weekend?" Karen asked Haley. "I want to call and make our reservations today." She then turned to Brooke and asked, "Would you like to join us?"

Brooke was surprised, but pleased to get an invitation. "That sounds like fun. I have never been to a spa before."

"You're going to love it," Haley replied. "We go every year and it's a blast. I just feel sorry for Maddie since she's stuck here with all of the guys. Lucas thinks that she's too young yet, but promises her that she will go with us when she's old enough. In Lucas language, I'm pretty sure that means never."

Everyone laughed. "Lucas will have to let go of Maddie sometime," Karen said. "He may be able to chase her boyfriends away, but he can't follow his daughter to college."

"Who are you talking about?" a familiar voice asked as Lucas came into the café. He was followed by Nathan, Skills and someone Brooke recognized, but couldn't remember who he was. However, everyone else did. Everyone exchanged greetings as Nathan became relieved when he saw his wife. They all walked over to the counter. Lucas then did the introductions. "Brooke, I'd like you to meet Marvin McFadden or Mouth as we like to call him."

Brooke then remembered who he was. "So this is the famous Brooke. It's nice to finally meet you," Mouth said as he gave her a friendly smile. "I have heard a lot about you."

Brooke blushed in embarrassment. "Likewise," she said before Mouth started to get bombarded with questions. She just listened quietly to his answers before he started asking her own questions. As they got to know each other, she knew that she had found another friend.

After awhile, Brooke was ready to leave the café. By then, everyone had moved away from the counter and to their own tables and booths. Brooke exchanged good-byes with her friends before she left. Haley had decided to get a ride back with Nathan. Brooke had no objection to that. Lucas then walked her out to her car and then watched her drive off before he went back inside.

Karen could tell that her son was distracted. "Hey, is everything ok?" she asked him.

Lucas sighed. "I'm worried about Monday. I'm not sure if I will be able to control my temper around Dan. I could barely keep myself in check while Peyton was testifying. How will I do it while I'm testifying?"

Haley suddenly spoke up as she came from her private booth with Nathan. She knew that this was the perfect opportunity to ask about her testifying. "You could always let me go first. I'm dying to tell Peyton off," she suggested.

Lucas knew that she had a point. "I'll call Victoria when I get home and see if she will allow it."


	23. The Last Day of Our Acquaintance

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

**Disclaimer**: Only own Maddie

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Three<strong>

** The Last Day of Our Acquaintance**

Victoria stood up from her chair before she spoke. "I call Haley James-Scott to the stand," she announced. Dan and Peyton exchanged surprised looks as Haley walked into the courtroom. She walked up to the front and to the witness stand. After being sworn in, Haley sat down and Victoria began her questioning. "How long have you known my client?" she asked her.

"Lucas and I have been best friends ever since we were little," Haley replied. "He, his brother Nathan and I all grew up together. Lucas and I have a sibling relationship. He is the big protective brother who looks after everyone. Because of our closeness, Nathan and I chose him not only to be our son's godfather, but we wanted our son to be named after him. So that's why our son is named James _Lucas _Scott."

"What was your impression of Peyton when you first met her?" Victoria asked her.

"She seemed nice at first," Haley replied. "But as I started to get to know her, I realized that she couldn't be trusted. Of course, she acted perfect around Lucas." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "But she showed her true colors when Lucas wasn't around. She talked about people behind their backs and she lied to me and the rest of the family about certain things."

"Why do you think that you could tell who she was and Lucas didn't?" Victoria asked her.

"Because Peyton was a very good actress," Haley replied. Brooke couldn't argue with that one.

"What was Peyton's reaction to the pregnancy?"

There was silence before Haley spoke. This was one secret that she had hoped she never had to reveal. "She was planning on having an abortion without even telling Lucas that she was pregnant." The courtroom suddenly became alive with surprised looks and whispers. Lucas couldn't believe that Peyton had been that desperate to not have Maddie. Judge Turner pounded his gavel and waited for the courtroom to settle down. He then encouraged Haley to go on. "But I convinced her not to because it wouldn't be fair to Lucas."

"How was Lucas after Peyton left?"

"Lucas was devastated. He could barely function afterwards," Haley replied. "But he realized that he had to get it together; because he had Maddie to think about."

"From your knowledge, did Peyton ever try to contact Lucas after she left?"

Haley shook her head. "No, she didn't. Lucas thought that she would, but she never did. So he eventually gave up. Then the divorce papers arrived. After that, there was nothing until we found out that she had returned to Tree Hill."

Victoria nodded satisfied. "No more questions," she said before she sat back down in her chair.

Dan then stood up and walked over to Haley. "You were pregnant around the same time as my client was, correct?"

"Yes," Haley replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"You and your husband must have had some concern about raising a baby so young. Did you two ever consider having an abortion?"

"Even if I did, I would have discussed it with my husband first," Haley replied.

Dan decided to try again. "You say that Lucas is protective of everybody. Do you think that Lucas has overstepped his boundaries at times when it comes to "protecting" you or someone else? Like the incident with Julian Baker?"

Lucas looked at Victoria and waited for her to protest. However, she stayed in her seat. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to win with the judge on this one. She too wanted to know what had happened to provoke Lucas into hitting Julian.

"Yes," Haley admitted.

She was about to say more, but Dan didn't let her. "So even though Lucas knew that it was wrong, he still hit Mr. Baker. With his temper out of control, can you still say that he is a great model for his daughter or your son?"

"Yes, I can. He knew what he had done to Mr. Baker was wrong and was willing to accept responsibility for it," Haley replied. "He also knew that he had a responsibility to his daughter. So he started teaching Maddie to use her words instead of fighting. He didn't want Maddie or Jamie to believe that fighting was the way to solve problems."

"But it didn't work, did it?" Dan asked. "There have been incidents where both Maddie and Jamie have been in trouble for fighting with the other kids at preschool, correct?"

"Yes," Haley admitted.

Dan again didn't let her get any further. "Where do you suppose that they got it from?"

Victoria knew that was inappropriate. "Objection! This is speculation!"

"I'll withdraw the question," Dan replied. "No more questions." He then returned to his seat.

Victoria then stood up again. "Redirect, your honor?" she asked. Judge Turner nodded. She only had one question to ask her. "You've known Lucas for years. Have you ever seen my client hit a woman or child?"

"No, I haven't," Haley replied. "And I know that he never would do that. He's not that type of person who would hurt anyone intentionally." She then turned to the judge. "He doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs. The only reason that he hit Mr. Baker that day at the café was because he found out that he was the one who had hurt his friend. He was just trying to defend her."

Victoria was done with her questioning for Haley. However, Dan had one question left for Haley to answer as well. "By hurting her, do you mean abusing her?" he asked her. After Haley denied that, Dan interrupted her again. "So what did Mr. Baker do to cause Mr. Scott to hit him?"

"He cheated on his wife with your client," Haley replied.

"No more questions," Dan said.

Haley got up from her chair and went to sit down next to Nathan and Brooke. They gave her comforting smiles as Victoria called her next witness. Nobody was surprised to hear that it was Lucas. He sat down at the witness stand before Victoria started questioning him.

"Your parents divorced when you and your brother were young. How did that affect you?"

"It was hard on me as I didn't understand what was going on. My parents had this nasty custody battle and even though I wanted to be with our mom, I was pushed into the middle by my dad." Lucas wanted to say 'Dan', but he knew that it wouldn't be right in court. "I hated it and I didn't want my child to go through the same thing."

Victoria nodded understandingly. "What was your reaction to finding out that Peyton was pregnant?"

"I was surprised," Lucas replied. Brooke then noticed that Peyton was whispering something to Dan. "It may have been a little sooner than expected, but I was ready to accept the challenge."

"What about Peyton?" Victoria asked. "What was her reaction?"

"At first, she was more upset than she was happy. We had so many plans for after our graduation that we now had to put on hold. But I didn't mind. I knew that we would be able to get to those places eventually."

"So after you two discussed it, you two _both_ decided to have the baby after all?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes."

"And Peyton never gave you any indication that she was still unhappy with the decision?"

Lucas sighed. "Well, the pregnancy was tough on her. At times, she did say that she wished that she could go back on her choice. But I honestly thought that it was the hormones talking. She seemed fine once Maddie was born. But the day after my birthday, she packed up her bags and just left."

"There was nothing to explain her abrupt departure?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, there wasn't. But then a year later, the divorce papers came with a note telling me that she would give me full custody if I gave her visitation rights. I was shocked at first, but I then agreed to the terms. I believed that she would actually come by and visit Maddie. But she never did."

Victoria kept going with her questions. "When did you discover that Ms. Sawyer had returned to Tree Hill?"

"It was the same day that I punched Mr. Baker. I hit him and he fell to the ground. She then came out to help him up," Lucas replied. "At first, I didn't know why she had come back. Then one day, she showed up at my house and told me that she wanted full custody of Maddie."

"How did you react to that?" Victoria asked.

"I told her that she didn't have a chance since she hasn't had any contact with me, Maddie or my family in the last five years," Lucas replied. "At least, I didn't think that she had. I had no idea that my paternal grandparents had been giving her updates about Maddie."

Victoria wished that she could mention Peyton's visits to Maddie's school. However, she knew that she would be shot down because of the witnesses. "If Peyton would have contacted you or Maddie over the last four years, do you believe that it would be no problem for her to see your daughter?"

"Yes," Lucas admitted.

"Thank you. No more questions," Victoria replied as she sat back down in her seat.

Lucas was dreading this part. He knew that he had to keep his temper under control. Otherwise, the judge would grant Peyton custody of Maddie. Lucas took a deep breath as Dan began his questioning. "So you had a rough time being a single parent, right?"

"Yes," Lucas replied. "But my mother and uncle helped me. So did my former stepmother."

"And now you're in a bitter custody battle, fighting for your daughter to stay with you. All this could have been avoided if you had just told my client the truth, correct?"

Lucas gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?"

"Is it true that you didn't want your daughter just as much my client didn't?" Dan asked him. Everyone was shocked including Brooke. She wondered how he had found out about their conversation. Lucas remained quiet. "Mr. Scott, you are under oath."

Victoria shot up out of her seat. "Your honor, I demand a short recess," she exclaimed.

"Your client didn't tell you everything up front?" Dan asked. "That's what happens when an abusive father is that desperate to keep their child away from their mother."

Lucas couldn't believe him. He glared at Dan as he shouted, "I love my daughter! I would never hurt her like that!"

Judge Turner angrily banged his gavel. "Mr. Scott, you were warned about another outburst. If you do it again, I will hold you in contempt of court."

"I'm sorry, but he is accusing me of abusing my daughter when he should be worried about defending his client!" Lucas exclaimed.

The judge pounded his gavel again. "Mr. Scott, I warned you. Take this man into custody." Lucas didn't object as two security guards came over to lead him away. Victoria, Brooke and his family sadly watched him go. The judge then spoke again. "Now I feel that I have no choice but to grant Ms. Sawyer's request. Ms. Sawyer will have full custody of Madelyn Scott with visitation rights for Mr. Scott."

Victoria quickly spoke up. "Your honor, I request that the child remains with her father until after the Easter holiday is over. That way, my client will have a chance to spend one last week with her."

Judge Turner turned to Peyton. "Do you have any objections to that?" he asked her.

"No, your honor," Peyton replied. "I don't." The judge then adjourned the court and everyone started heading out of the courtroom. They ignored the happy looks of Peyton, Julian and Sylvia. Instead, they quietly walked past them and waited until they were outside the courtroom to speak.

"I can't believe Dan. He wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise," Haley told Nathan and Brooke.

"I think he was supposed to do that," Nathan replied. "You did the best that you could."

Haley sighed. "I know. I just wish it had been worth it."

"I'm sure it would have been if Lucas had kept his anger under control," Victoria said. "I just wish that he would have told me about his real feelings towards the pregnancy." She then looked at the family. "Are you sure you guys didn't know about this?"

Karen shook her head. "No, I'm surprised that he didn't tell Keith or Haley about it. They are the ones closest to him."

They then became quiet as Sylvia, Julian and Peyton came out of the courtroom. They glared at them as they walked past them. The three then turned around to face them. Peyton gave them a smile as she turned to Brooke. "Brooke, I would like to thank you. If it wasn't for you, then I wouldn't have gotten custody of Maddie." Victoria and the Scott family turned to Brooke, shocked and confused. "Tell Lucas that I'll pick up Maddie next Monday," she told them before she walked off with her fiancé and future mother-in-law.

The Scott family couldn't believe their ears. They turned to Brooke. "You told that bitch that Lucas didn't want Maddie?" Haley demanded.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I would never betray Lucas like that. I don't know how she found out," she protested.

Nobody knew whether to believe her or not. Nathan then spoke up. "Of course you do. I bet that you were on her side all along and just pretended to be our friend to get close to Maddie," he replied. "After all, you did meet her after she was out of our lives. Then you happen to arrive in Tree Hill right before Peyton and Julian do? I thought that was a little suspicious, but I was willing to give you a chance for Haley and Maddie." Brooke couldn't believe that they were turning against her. "Was your mother involved too?"

Keith quickly interrupted him. "That's enough, Nathan. Victoria did the best that she could with the case."

"Lucas shouldn't have been on the stand in the first place," Karen said. "Actually, Dan shouldn't have been Peyton's lawyer. Why the hell didn't you push harder to get him pulled off of the case?" she exclaimed angrily. "Thanks to you and your daughter, none of us will probably get to see Maddie anymore." Neither Davis was able to say anything as Karen turned to Brooke and said, "I'm sure that Lucas will agree with me when I say that you're fired."

Brooke was about to respond when Deb spoke. "I want your things cleared out by the end of the day. That goes for Lucas's house too." The Scott family then walked away from mother and daughter, never looking back.

Both Victoria and Brooke were quiet for a few moments. "You can stay with me for awhile," Victoria told her. "I sure could use the company." Brooke just nodded as she watched her former friends leave, wishing that she could go with them.


	24. You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese!

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Four<strong>

**You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side**

It didn't take long for Brooke to gather up her stuff from Deb's house. She wasn't surprised since most of her things were at Lucas's house anyway. However, she still didn't know where she was moving to. Her mother had been staying at a hotel since she didn't want to take the two hour drive down to Tree Hill every day.

"Why don't you just leave your things at the house?" Victoria suggested. Brooke was about to protest when her mother didn't let her get a word in. "I know that they said that you were fired and you had to move out of the house, but they were just upset about the judge's ruling."

"No, it was more than that. They think I'm Benedict Arnold," Brooke replied in a frustrated tone. "They didn't even give me a chance to explain. They just heard what Peyton said and immediately accused me of working with her."

"Well, I suggest that you stop feeling sorry for yourself and prove them wrong," Victoria said. "And I think you should start with the one who started it all."

Brooke sighed, knowing that she was right. She was about to reply when her cell-phone rang. She checked the caller ID and frowned when she saw who it was. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear. "Jake, is something wrong? Is it Jenny? Or Maddie?" she asked worriedly. She didn't know who had picked Maddie up that afternoon.

_"No, everything is fine. I heard about the argument between you and the Scott family," _Jake replied. _"I wanted to make sure that you were ok."_

"For a woman who has just lost her home, friends and her job, I'm far from ok," Brooke admitted. "But I'm a little better now that you called. I'm surprised that you're not mad at me too."

"_Well, I believe you about not telling Peyton Lucas's secret,"_ Jake replied. _"I may not know you that well, but I do know that you wouldn't betray a friend."_

Brooke was grateful for the support. "At least, someone is on my side," she replied. "Everyone else thinks that I'm a liar and a traitor."

_"There are more people on your side than you think,"_ Jake assured her. _"And don't worry about the Scott family. They'll come around."_ There was then a short pause before he spoke again. _"If you need anything, just call me. I'm willing to listen or help out."_

"Thanks, Jake. I will certainly do that," Brooke replied before they exchanged good-byes. "Well, I guess I should go and see a certain blonde bitch about spreading lies." She then grabbed her purse and keys before she left the hotel suite.

A short while later, Brooke arrived at Peyton's house. She got out of her car and walked onto the front porch. She knocked on the door and waited impatiently until the owner answered it. Peyton didn't even have a chance to say anything as Brooke marched into the foyer. Peyton then closed the door behind her. "What can I do for you, Brooke?" she asked.

Brooke decided to play Peyton's game. She put on a fake smile before she spoke. "I bet you're really happy now that you got custody of Maddie. You thanked me for my help yesterday, but the problem is that I didn't tell you Lucas's secret. So how did you find out?"

"Does it really matter now? I won the custody case," Peyton replied as she walked towards the kitchen.

Brooke was right behind her. She was about to respond when she noticed that there were a few cardboard boxes in the kitchen. She then came to a horrible realization. She turned at Peyton, furious. "You're planning to take Maddie out of Tree Hill, aren't you?" she exclaimed angrily.

"Well, it is hard to stay in a place where everyone hates you," Peyton replied. "I'm surprised that you're still here."

"That isn't Maddie's fault," Brooke reminded her. "And you know it." Peyton didn't answer. "How can you take that little girl away from everything that she knows and loves?"

"Maddie is excellent at making new friends," Peyton pointed out. "She will be fine."

Brooke couldn't believe her ears. "You really are a cold heartless bitch if you think that Maddie will be fine with moving away from the people who_ truly_ love and care about her," she exclaimed angrily before she left the house.

* * *

><p>That evening, Haley was attending to the café when she heard the door open. She turned around to see Lindsey. She gave her a small smile as she walked up to the counter. "Can I get you anything?" Haley asked her.<p>

Lindsey sat down on a stool. "I'll just have a cup of coffee," she replied.

Haley grabbed the coffee pot and a cup. "I suppose you've heard about what happened in court today," she said as she started pouring the coffee into the cup.

Lindsey nodded. "Yeah, the whole town is talking about it. I'm so sorry. I'm assuming Lucas doesn't know yet."

Haley shook her head. "No, he doesn't. The news is going to break his heart," she replied in a sad tone. "I can't imagine what he is going through. Nathan and I have had our differences, but we've never came close to divorcing. We only separated one time, but that was back when I was going through a rough time."

Lindsey nodded understandingly. "Well, I guess we should put your plan to play matchmaker on hold for awhile."

"Actually, I don't think I want to pair Lucas with Brooke anymore," Haley replied. Lindsey was surprised, not to mention confused. Haley saw her puzzled expression and began to explain. "It turns out that Brooke was just playing us all along. She was just pretending to be our friend when she was really helping Peyton with the case."

"How do you know that?" another familiar voice asked as she walked into the café. The two were surprised to see Mia. "From what I've heard, you didn't let Brooke get a chance to explain. You just jumped to conclusions that she had lied to you."

"She admitted that she knew that Lucas didn't want Maddie," Haley said. "What was I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to think that she is your friend. But you really believe that everyone who is associated with Peyton is your enemy, right?" Mia exclaimed angrily.

"No, of course not," Haley replied.

Mia gave her a look. "If I hadn't switched my concert from Peyton's café to yours, you would have gotten pissed off at me. You're lucky that I didn't want to disappoint my biggest fan." Mia didn't even let Haley answer. "Next time that you want to accuse someone of being an enemy, make sure that you get all the facts straight before pushing them out of your life," she said before she stormed out of the café.

Lindsey turned back to Haley, confused. "What was that all about?" she asked her. Haley then told her about the argument between the Scott family and Brooke. Lindsey looked at her surprised. "Don't you think that firing her and kicking her out of the house was a little harsh?"

Haley gave her a look. "I didn't fire her or kick her out of the house. That was Karen and Deb."

Lindsey wasn't in the mood for technical answers. "You know what? I've had a long day. So I'm just going to take this coffee to go." Haley was disappointed that her friend wasn't staying longer. However, she could tell that she was upset. "Bye Haley."

"Bye," Haley replied as she watched her friend leave. She then started to think that she had made a mistake by accusing Brooke of betraying her family. She quickly closed the café before she started to clean up.

When Haley arrived home, Nathan was there to greet her. Keith and Karen were going to have Maddie for the night and they thought it would make sense for them to pick up Jamie too. Nathan and Haley instantly accepted their offer as they needed some time alone. She also thought it was the perfect opportunity to tell Nathan about the baby.

However, Haley was now not in the mood to spend some quality time with her husband. She managed to give him a smile when she walked into the door, but Nathan could tell that something was bothering her. He decided to wait until they were in bed before asking her about it.

"Did you hear that Lucas will definitely be released from jail tomorrow?" Nathan asked her. Haley was quiet. "Keith will pick him up tomorrow morning." He waited for a response. However, his wife was still silent. "Hales, are you ok?"

Haley let out a sigh. "I think we've made a mistake about Brooke."

"Why would you say that? Did you get harassed by people today too?" Nathan asked. "You know, it's funny. Everyone was either on Peyton's side or our side during the trial. Now it's us vs. Brooke."

Haley couldn't keep her secret any longer. "I'm pregnant again," she announced. Nathan looked at her stunned. "That was where I was Friday morning. I was at a doctor's appointment. And Brooke came along for support. She knew about it. Yet, that wasn't brought up in court. I told her about my miscarriage. That wasn't brought up in court either."

Nathan didn't let her say anything else. "You're pregnant? You're really pregnant?" he asked her anxiously, completely ignoring everything else. She nodded. He gave her a wide smile. "Why didn't you tell me until now?"

"Because I was afraid of losing the baby like last time," Haley told him. "According to the doctor, I'm only five weeks." She then corrected herself. "Well, it's six weeks this week."

Nathan gave her a comforting smile. "We're _not_ going to lose the baby again," he assured her. "This is what we've been waiting for, remember? We want Jamie to be a big brother. And this time, we're ready for the baby."

Haley sighed. "I know, but I just want it to be our secret until we are past the first trimester."

Nathan was going to protest, but he could see that keeping this a secret meant a lot to her. He finally nodded in agreement and Haley smiled gratefully. Nathan then went back to the original subject. "As for the trial, the case was about Lucas and Peyton's relationship, not you," he reminded her.

"But Dan could have used our miscarriage against me," Haley replied. "Instead, he used my pregnancy with Jamie. I don't know why he didn't use our second one, because we were arguing more about that pregnancy than Jamie's."

Nathan tried to calm her down. "Ok, you need to relax. You can't stress out like this. Or the baby will pick up on it."

Haley ignored his pleas. She really wanted him to pay attention to what she was saying. "Admit that we have juicy secrets just as much as Lucas does."

Nathan thought for a moment before speaking. "We do, but our secrets probably wouldn't have helped Dan with his case."

"Why are you defending him?" Haley asked him. "Why can't you just admit that we've made a mistake?"

"Because I meant what I said at the courthouse," Nathan replied. "I don't trust her. I haven't since you told me about Brooke's connection to Peyton." Haley didn't answer as her husband continued. "That's why I have been so reluctant to play Cupid between those two. I don't want Lucas to get hurt again."

Haley sighed. "I don't either. But I think he can handle himself. After all, he is a Scott."

"Good. It's settled then. We're not going to play Cupid between those two," Nathan said as he moved under the covers. He then gave his wife a kiss. "Good night, Hales. I love you."

Haley had one last question for Nathan. "Even though you don't trust Brooke, do you believe Peyton was telling the truth about Brooke?" she asked him.

There was silence before he finally answered. "No," he admitted.

The next morning, Karen and the grandchildren were eating breakfast when Keith and Lucas walked into the house. Maddie ran over to Lucas and he embraced her into a big hug. "Hey, did you have fun with Grandpa, Grandma and Jamie?"

Maddie gave him a wide smile. "Yeah, but I missed you," she replied.

Lucas smiled in return. "I missed you too. Why don't you finish eating your breakfast? Then we're going to go to the River Court, ok?" Maddie didn't ask any questions. Instead, she went back to the table. Lucas and Karen exchanged looks as Lucas came over to his mother. "Do you have any breakfast left for me?" he asked her.

Karen nodded. "Of course I do," she replied, giving him a plate full of bacon and eggs. "Don't worry about working at the café," she whispered. "We'll take care of it for you. Just spend time as much as you can with Maddie."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mom," he whispered back. He then gave her a kiss on the cheek before he joined Maddie and Jamie at the kitchen table. He just listened to Jamie and Maddie as they told him about their day.

After they were done, Lucas drove Maddie to the River Court. Maddie was surprised when he didn't take out the basketball. She frowned as she asked, "How come you didn't bring your basketball, Daddy? I thought that we were going to play."

There was a short pause before he spoke. "Maddie, we need to talk," he told her. Despite being rude, he had hoped that the judge would continue the trial. Yet, he knew that he had to prepare Maddie in case the judge hadn't. He had spent all night trying to figure out what he should say to her.

"Maddie, do you remember when I told you that I was just going to listen to Mommy and the judge?" Lucas asked her. Maddie nodded. "I tried, but I got really upset. That made the judge mad and decided that you have to live with Mommy for awhile."

Maddie instantly became upset. "But I don't want to live with Mommy. I want to live with you. Can't you say sorry to the judge?"

Lucas smiled gently at his little girl. "I wish that I could, but sometimes it doesn't work that way." Maddie was still upset. "Mommy won't be picking you up until after Easter. So we have a whole week together. We'll play hooky again. And we'll go to the zoo or park or wherever else you want to go."

"Can we invite Brooke along?" Maddie asked him eagerly.

Lucas had completely forgotten about Brooke. He was furious at her for telling Peyton his secret. Yet, Maddie didn't know that. He could see that she was anxiously waiting for the answer. "We'll see," he finally replied.


	25. The Worst Day Since Yesterday

**A/N**: Thanks for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leese.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Five<strong>

** The Worst Day Since Yesterday**

Haley walked into the café and exchanged smiles with Karen as she walked up to the counter and grabbed a stool. "Thanks for letting Jamie spend the night at your house last night. I really appreciate it. I needed a break from running after an energetic five-year-old."

Karen gave her a comforting smile. "It was no problem. You know how much Keith and I love having our grandchildren around. Especially since our children are all out of the nest now." There was a short pause before she spoke. "Speaking of children, am I going to be a grandma again anytime soon?" she asked as she gave her a wink.

Haley sighed as she asked, "How did you find out?"

Karen gave her a smile. "I've been through it three times. I can recognize the signs."

Haley knew that was true. "Please don't tell anybody else yet." Karen gave her a confused look. "I want to wait until I'm past the first trimester. I'm a month and a half along. Nathan and I would tell everyone sooner, but we want to make sure that we don't lose the baby this time."

"I'm sure that you won't," Karen assured her. However, Haley wasn't convinced. So Karen tried to put Haley's mind at ease. "But if you really want me not to tell anyone, I promise that I won't say anything to anybody, even Keith, until you're ready to tell people."

Haley smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Karen. I know that there are rumors going around already about me possibly being pregnant. And I would rather those just be rumors for now." She then changed the subject. "As repaying you for this favor, I'll clean up and close the café for you." Karen immediately agreed. Haley then started wiping tables down when she noticed a camera in the corner of the room. She frowned, wondering when that was put there. "Karen, did you have that camera for long?"

Karen gave her a confused look. Haley then gestured her to the camera. Karen turned around and frowned. "That's funny. Keith and I never asked anybody to install a camera in here." She and Haley exchanged looks as Karen realized her mistake. She barely had time to recover from the surprise when she saw that Haley was getting ready to storm out of the café. Karen didn't even have to ask about where she was going. However, she knew that she was going to stop her. "Haley, calm down. I know that you're furious at her. I am too. But we need proof before we accuse her of spying on us."

"Even if we did get the tape, what good that will do?" Haley asked her. "Do you really think that the judge will give Lucas another chance at the trial just because we found out that Peyton was spying on us? No judge would go for that."

"No, but it would certainly prove that Brooke didn't tell Peyton about Lucas," Karen told her.

Haley didn't say anything for a moment before she spoke. "Actually, I already know that she didn't." Karen looked at her curiously. "I never trusted Peyton. Even though Brooke admitted that she knew Lucas's secret, I know that she wouldn't tell Peyton."

Karen gave her a gentle smile. "I know that she didn't either." Haley looked at her surprised. "You weren't the only one who was up all night thinking about the argument. I called the hotel where Victoria was staying at, but the receptionist told me that both she and Brooke had checked out this morning."

Haley frowned. "You don't think that we ran them out of town, do you?" she asked her.

"Well, I think that they are keeping their distances from us for awhile," Karen replied. "I think that is best for now. Especially for Lucas." She then let out a sigh. "I just hope that he will be able to talk to someone about his feelings. Keith said that he was mostly quiet the whole way home from the station."

Haley was concerned. "Wow, that's really bad if Lucas doesn't want to talk to Keith."

Karen nodded. "I'm really worried about him. Do you think that you could try and talk to him?"

Haley was worried about her best friend herself. "I'll see what I can do," she replied. "I'll stop by tomorrow morning and talk to him." They then heard the door opening and turned towards the entrance to see Nathan walking in with Jamie. They exchanged greetings as Nathan and Jamie joined them at the counter. "Hey, I didn't expect to see you here," Haley said.

"Well, I wanted to show you this," Nathan replied as he gave her a piece of paper. Haley looked at it as Nathan explained the sheet to his mother. "It seems that my basketball players and cheerleaders are sending a petition around to ask the judge for a retrial. They didn't think that it was fair on how Peyton was awarded custody of Maddie."

"Is that why Maddie is moving?" Jamie asked them.

His grandmother and parents turned to him. Haley frowned as she asked, "Who told you that Maddie is moving?"

"Chuck, he heard it from his mom," Jamie replied. "Chuck said that they are heading back to Charlotte."

Nobody knew what to say at first. They had a feeling that Peyton was going to do something like this. They just wished that she wasn't taking Maddie along with her. Nathan gave his son a comforting smile. "Well, we're going to make sure that Maddie stays right here with us," he assured him.

Jamie's eyes lit up. "Really?" he asked eagerly.

Nathan nodded. "You got it, buddy. Just don't tell anybody that we're planning to do this, ok?"

"I promise," Jamie told him. He was willing to do anything to make sure that his best friend and cousin stayed in Tree Hill.

The next morning, Lucas and Maddie were having brunch when they heard a knock at the door. Maddie instantly got up from her chair and ran to the door. "I'll get it," she told him. Lucas was right behind her. Maddie was ecstatic when she found Brooke standing there. She embraced her in a hug as Lucas stayed quiet. "Daddy says that I have to go live with Mommy."

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "I know. I heard," she replied. "But that doesn't mean that I won't stop by and visit."

Maddie was happy to hear that. "Want to play tea party with me?" she asked her.

Brooke knew that she and Lucas needed to talk. She could tell that he wasn't willing to wait. "Why don't you go and start without me? I'll come up in a little bit," she promised her. "I need to talk to your dad first."

Lucas waited until Maddie went upstairs before speaking. "You have a lot of nerve coming back here after that stunt you pulled," he said as he headed to the kitchen. "I never should have trusted you with that secret."

Brooke couldn't believe that he was against her too. She followed him as she tried to defend herself. "Lucas, do you honestly believe that I would tell Peyton your secret? I would never betray a friend's trust like that." Lucas didn't say anything. So Brooke knew that it was safe for her to continue. "I was betrayed too, remember? My husband cheated on me with her. Why would I help her after that?"

Lucas could think of a couple of good reasons. "Because you wanted to get close to me so that I could feed you information about Maddie? Is it really a coincidence that you arrived right before Peyton did or was it on purpose?"

"I was just as surprised as you were when I found out that she was here," Brooke exclaimed. "She never told me much about her past. All I knew was that her parents had died and she had nobody else. She never mentioned that she had an ex-husband or a child."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "I see now. You were clearly pissed at Julian for betraying you, but you still loved him," he said. Brooke was about to protest when he continued with his theories. "So you decided to call up your old mother-in-law and ask for her help. You thought that if you could reunite Peyton and Maddie, Julian would come crawling back to you, right?"

Brooke knew that she was losing the battle. "Lucas, I understand that you're upset about losing custody of Maddie. But I swear to you that I was _never _on Peyton's side."

"Then why did you come here?" Lucas asked her.

"Because I came here to start a new life for me and my baby," Brooke told him.

Lucas didn't want to hear anymore. "That's bullshit. Just admit the truth. Because I'm sick and tired of your lies about your past with Julian and Peyton. You were lying about everything, weren't you?" he demanded. Brooke was about to respond when he continued. "I bet that you weren't even pregnant." That hit Brooke hard. She was speechless at first. That gave Lucas time to finish what he wanted to say. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Brooke wanted to respond, but she was too hurt to say anything. She held her tears in as she walked out of the kitchen. As soon as she was out of the house, she headed to her car. She then saw Haley coming out of her house and was walking towards her. She really wasn't in the mood for another lecture from her.

Just as she was about to slide in the driver's seat, Haley reached her first. "Before you say anything, I want to apologize for my actions. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I was just pissed off that Peyton got custody of Maddie. The whole family was. We shouldn't have judged you so quickly. I'm sorry."

Brooke could tell that the apology was sincere. She gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Hales. I needed that after what I just went through."

Haley could see that her friend was upset. "Did you have a fight with Lucas?"

Brooke sighed. "It was more like World War Three. And I lost big time." Haley felt sorry for her. "It wouldn't have been so bad if Lucas hadn't accused me of faking my pregnancy."

Haley was shocked. "Don't worry about it. I'll set his ass straight," she assured her. She didn't let Brooke answer. Instead, she marched up to the house and opened the door. She had barely walked into the front hall when she heard noises from afar. She frowned as she wondered what was going on upstairs. She hurried up to the second floor and followed the noises down to the nursery.

She was surprised to see that Lucas was making a mess. Yet, she knew that it was to vent out his frustration. "Wow, you're lucky that this is your house. Otherwise, you would be arrested again. What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Lucas exclaimed angrily. "I'm doing a little remodeling."

Haley nodded understandingly. "That's too bad. I really liked the old setting." Lucas didn't respond. "Well, I have some good news. Your supporters have convinced us to keep fighting for Maddie."

Lucas frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"There is a petition going around to ask the judge to give your trial another chance," Haley replied. "Nobody thought that it was fair on how Peyton got custody of Maddie. So we've been working on contacting Victoria to see what she can do. We want to do it as soon as possible so Peyton doesn't take off with Maddie." Lucas gave her a confused look as she began to explain. "Apparently, Julian and Peyton are planning to move back to Charlotte. And they want to take Maddie with them."

Lucas wasn't surprised. Instead, he was frustrated. "Well, that explains why she called and wanted to talk about the custody arrangement," he replied. "But getting the judge to try to start the case up again is so much better. Just don't get Victoria as my lawyer."

"Why not?" Haley asked. "You and I both know that it wasn't her fault that you got upset. Dan was the one who provoked you. And I don't think that you would be able to afford another lawyer." Lucas hated to admit it, but she was right. "So where's Maddie?"

Lucas frowned. "What do you mean? She should be in her room."

Haley shook her head. "No, she's not there. She probably went next door to Jenny's or my house."

"Even if she did, she knows that she shouldn't go without permission," Lucas replied as he went to Maddie's bedroom. "Maddie, are you here?" he called as he saw the empty room. There was no answer. So they walked into the room and looked around. Haley suddenly froze as Lucas started checking the usual hiding spots, completely oblivious to the scene in front of him. He was about to say something when he noticed Haley's worried face. He then turned to see what she was looking at. His heart instantly sank.

While Lucas and Haley were dealing with their crisis, Brooke was driving her car to her destination. After Haley had gone inside, Brooke decided to leave and head back to her temporary home. She really didn't think that Haley could convince him to apologize to her. Yes, Haley was his best friend. But he could be so stubborn at times.

Brooke hated that she was leaving without saying good-bye to Maddie, but she knew that Lucas didn't want her around her. She also didn't want to see Maddie upset as she would have to explain and didn't want the little girl to stress out even more.

She still couldn't believe that Lucas had accused her of faking her pregnancy. He had seen her eat more than she should be eating. He had watched her excuse herself when she had to go to the bathroom. He was there to comfort her during her miscarriage. She then started to tear up as she thought of the miscarriage. Even thought it had been almost two months, she still felt the pain of the losing her baby. It was hard at times. She didn't want to admit it, but it had been a little harder when she found out that Haley was pregnant. She was happy for her friend, but she was also sad that she wasn't going to have a baby.

Once Brooke reached her destination, she quickly parked the car in the driveway before she climbed out. Her hostess was there to greet her. She could see that Brooke needed some cheering up. However, she didn't know how she could do that. "I'm sorry that Lucas and his family are giving you such a rough time," Lindsey told her.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Brooke replied as they walked into the house. She loved her house. It looked so warm and inviting. Of course, Lucas's house was too. But it was nice to be in a different house for a change. "Lindsey, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay in your guestroom," Brooke said as she collapsed on the couch. "I would have asked Jake, but his house is right next door to Lucas's house." Lindsey nodded understandingly as she joined her on the couch. "I won't be here for long," she promised. "It's only until I figure out where I want to live. My girlfriend Rachel volunteered her guestroom, but I knew that I would be just a third wheel."

Lindsey gave her a comforting smile to set her worried mind at ease. "It's no problem, Brooke. Even if it is temporary, it's nice to have a roommate. I get pretty lonely sometimes with only my fish to keep me company."

"I don't know how you or Deb Scott has managed it," Brooke said as Lindsey laughed. "I'm serious. I know Tree Hill is safe, but it would creep me out at night to be home alone. Have you seen those horror movies?"

"That's why I'm always out and about at night," Lindsey replied. "I mostly attend the games at the high school, but I sometimes go out to the mall or Tric. I always meet cute guys there."

"Do you have a boyfriend now?" Brooke asked her curiously.

Lindsey shook her head. "Haley keeps telling me that I should date, but I never have time to do it." There was a short pause before she spoke again. She wasn't sure if she should ask, but she was willing to try anyway. "Do you think that you will ever get back to dating again or is it too soon to be asking about that?" she asked curiously. Even though Haley had called the matchmaking off, she was going to slowly push it through anyway.

Brooke shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it much lately. My mind has been on the trial."

"I don't think about it a lot either. I have my students to take care of." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Speaking of my students, I don't suppose you saw the petition." Brooke gave her a confused look. Lindsey went over to her work bag that was in the kitchen and pulled something out. She then handed it over to Brooke as she joined her back on the couch again. She glanced at it as Lindsey explained what it was for. "Some students are banding together to ask for signatures. They want the judge to give Lucas another chance to prove that he deserves custody of Maddie. Do you want to sign?"

Brooke sighed. "I don't think that my signature would matter. No matter what I say, Lucas believes that I'm just a lying bitch. I tried everything that I could to prove to him that I'm not. I don't know what else I can do to show him that I'm on his side." Lindsey did her best to comfort her as they heard a cell-phone. Brooke recognized it as hers. She checked her phone and saw it was a text message from Haley. She wondered if Haley had convinced Lucas to apologize. She doubted it, but she wanted to check anyway. She gasped as she saw the words on the screen. She nearly dropped the phone as she processed what had happened. "Oh my god! Maddie ran away!"


	26. Apologies

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Six<strong>

** Apologies**

The second that Brooke found out that Maddie had ran away, she sprung into action. She quickly left the house and climbed into her car. As she started driving around the neighborhood, she started to think about where Maddie would run off to. She remembered when she had run away from her parents; she had gone over to Julian's house. But Maddie didn't have a car. So she couldn't have gone too far from home.

As Brooke thought more about it, she realized where Maddie was. Once she arrived at her destination, she parked the car before heading over to the playground. She looked around and didn't see Maddie at first. She was then relieved when she saw her at her favorite place on the playground. As she walked over to her, Maddie noticed her. She ran over to her and they embraced each other in a hug. "Maddie, there you are. Sweetie, what are you doing here?"

"I'm running away," Maddie replied. "I have to live with Mommy. And I don't want to. Because I'm making everybody sad and angry at each other."

"Well, they would be even sadder if you don't come back," Brooke replied in a soft tone. "And I know that you don't want to live with Mommy. But you won't be that far away. Charlotte is just a couple of hours from Tree Hill. We'll be able to visit each other. And you aren't making anybody angry at each other."

"Then why did you and Daddy fight?" Maddie exclaimed. "And how come he wrecked the nursery?"

Brooke frowned as she asked, "What nursery?"

"It was the nursery that Daddy was setting up for your baby," Maddie told her. "But then you lost the baby. So Daddy didn't want to show it to you. He didn't want to make you sadder. Now we can't even put a baby in there. Why did Daddy wreck the nursery?"

Brooke sighed. "Because he was angry and wanted to get his frustration out," she replied. "And he felt that the nursery was the best place to do it."

"Why is Daddy mad at you?" Maddie asked.

Brooke tried to think of the best answer that she could tell the little girl. "Because he thinks that I lied to him about some things. And it's hard to convince him that I didn't."

"Why?" Maddie asked. "Is it because you don't have proof?" Brooke nodded. Maddie thought for a moment. "If we get proof, will Daddy believe that you're not a bad guy?"

Brooke didn't say anything for a moment. She didn't want to disappoint her by telling her that it wasn't that easy. She gave her a reassuring smile. "Well, there's no harm in trying," she replied. "But don't you think that we should go home first and let Daddy and everyone else know that you're ok?" Maddie shook her head. "You know, I almost ran away from Tree Hill once."

Maddie looked at her surprised. "You did? How come?"

"Because there was too much going on for me to deal with. So I thought that it was better for me to get out of town," Brooke explained. "But my mom then helped me realize that I was running away from my problems. And I shouldn't. Because they won't go away until you face them."

"Do you think that Daddy and Mommy will be mad at me?" Maddie asked.

"They might, but I think that they will be happier to see that you are safe," Brooke replied. She knew that Lucas would be. He was probably feeling guilty since she ran away on his watch.

Maddie finally agreed. She hopped off the swing and went to grab her backpack. As they headed back to the car, they saw a familiar face walking towards them. Maddie's eyes lit up as she ran towards her father. Lucas gave her a happy and relieved smile as they embraced in a tight hug. "Maddie, thank God you're alright. I've been so worried about you."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Maddie replied. "I just wanted everybody to stop being sad and stop yelling at each other."

Lucas sighed. He then knew that she had heard the argument between him and Brooke. "I'm sorry that you heard that. I never meant for you to blame yourself for this whole mess," he told her. "Why didn't you tell somebody that you were feeling this way instead of running away?"

Maddie didn't answer at first. "Because I didn't want to make you madder by going to Brooke."

Lucas then turned to Brooke, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between father and daughter. "Maddie, why don't you go back and play on the playground again? I need to talk to Brooke." Maddie didn't move. Lucas knew what she was thinking. "It's ok. I'm not going to yell at her again. I promise." Maddie looked at Brooke and she gave her a comforting smile. She then gave her backpack to Lucas before she was climbing the steps to get to the top of the slide.

Lucas then gestured Brooke to sit and they sat down on a bench. Before he could say a word, Brooke asked him a question. "How did you know where to find us? I didn't tell anybody that I went looking for her or that I found her yet."

"I started calling around to the neighbors. Annie, one of our back-up baby-sitters, told us that Maddie had knocked on her door and asked her if she could drop her off at the park," Lucas explained. Brooke nodded understandingly. There was an awkward silence before Lucas spoke again. "Brooke, I know the truth about how Peyton found out about my secret. I don't know how to apologize to you for my behavior this morning. I was way out of line accusing you of taking advantage of our friendship. I was just so frustrated with Peyton that I took my anger out on you. I'm so sorry."

"I know you are. And I know your family is," Brooke replied. There was a short pause before Brooke spoke again. "But I don't know if I can forgive any of you right now. You really hurt me with your accusations. Especially thinking that I faked my pregnancy."

"I never should have said that," Lucas said, sounding ashamed. "In fact, I never should have questioned your loyalty or trust."

"Then why did you?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Do you think that we can get that trust back again?"

Brooke didn't answer for a moment. "It might take awhile, but I believe we will." As Lucas beckoned Maddie to come back over, she had a thought. "How did you find out the truth?" she asked him.

"I'll show you when we get to the café," Lucas replied as Maddie ran over to them. "That's where everyone wanted to celebrate after we found Maddie." They then headed to the car. He helped Maddie get in her car seat before he turned back to Brooke. "Thank you for taking care of her and convincing her to come back home. I don't know what I would have done if she didn't."

"Me either," Brooke added.

Lucas looked at her hard. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "Of course I do. She is like my own daughter," she replied. "And she isn't the only one I care about in the Scott family." Lucas didn't respond. "I'll see you there."

Soon, Maddie was reunited with the rest of her family and friends. Everyone was relieved to see that she was safe. Lucas then showed Brooke the hidden camera. Brooke was just as furious as Haley was. The apologies then continued for Brooke. Even though Haley had already apologized for the family, Karen and Deb wanted to do it personally. Karen then offered Brooke her job back. Even Nathan apologized to her.

They then celebrated with ice cream. Everyone dived in except Lucas. Both Keith and Karen could tell that he was still feeling guilty about the whole mess. However, they didn't have a chance to comfort him when Victoria walked into the café. Brooke and Maddie came over to greet her. Karen was right behind them. Before Victoria could say a word, Karen spoke up. "I'm sorry about my behavior the other day in court. I was too harsh on you. I know that you really did try your best with the case including trying to get the judge to take Dan off as Peyton's lawyer."

"Karen, you don't need to apologize," Victoria assured her. "I understand that you were upset."

"I still shouldn't have yelled at you," Karen replied.

"Don't worry about it," Victoria said as she gave the group a huge smile. "I have terrific news. I finally managed to convince Judge Turner not only to retry the custody case, but also managed to get Dan kicked off as Peyton's lawyer. The trial starts Monday."

Lucas looked at her shocked. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed. Victoria nodded. He was at loss for words. "I don't know how to thank you."

Victoria gave him a comforting smile. "Don't thank me. You deserve a second chance to prove yourself. And I was going to fight to make sure you got it. Just make sure you tell me everything this time."

"You got it," Lucas promised.

After the celebration, Brooke drove Maddie home and put her to bed. Lucas arrived soon after that. He kissed his daughter good night before he left the bedroom. Brooke met him out in the hall. He watched Maddie sleep for a few moments before he closed the door. They then went downstairs and into the kitchen.

There was an awkward silence before Brooke spoke. "I'm not sure if you're expecting me to move back in, but I can't," she told him. "You two have been great, but I think it's time for me to look for my own place again."

"I'm not the one you should worry about," Lucas told her.

Brooke knew that he meant Maddie. "I know, but I'm sure that she'll understand."

"Where are you thinking of moving to?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke shrugged. "It'll probably be another apartment. It just won't be the same apartment building that I had moved to the first time. I hated that landlord. That guy kept bumping up the rent."

"Are you going to stay in Tree Hill?" Lucas asked.

Brooke didn't answer for a moment. "No, I was planning to find something in Wilmington." She then saw the relieved look on his face. "No, I'm not going back to New York except to visit Rachel."

Lucas didn't want to admit it, but he was relieved that she wasn't leaving North Carolina completely. "I wish you would stay here with us," he suddenly blurted out. He didn't know where that came from.

Brooke gave him a gentle smile. "So do I, but we both know that I can't stay here."

"Why not?" Lucas asked her. "We both know that I can provide food and shelter for you. You know that I have already."

Brooke knew that was true. "Because if I really want to move on from my past, I have to think of what I want in my life. I love Tree Hill, but I need some space from everyone right now."

Lucas nodded understandingly. "So I'll see you at the café tomorrow morning?"

There was silence for a few moments. Lucas knew that the news wasn't good. "I turned down Karen's offer," Brooke finally confessed. Lucas was disappointed. "I'm going to try and find a job in Wilmington. That way, I don't have to take the long drive to Tree Hill."

Lucas couldn't believe his ears. "When are you planning to leave?"

"I'm planning to start looking for an apartment right after the Easter holiday," Brooke told him. "So it will be a few weeks yet before I probably find the right place. Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping that you would stay with us until you were ready to move," Lucas told her. "Or are you going to stay at Lindsey's house?"

Brooke was surprised at his concern for her future plans of moving to Wilmington. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I was going to pick Lindsey until you offered me your house again."

"You don't have to decide right now," Lucas told her. "You can sleep on it for a few days."

"I think that's best," Brooke replied. She didn't want to make a decision right then and there. She then yawned. "Speaking of sleep, I think I'm going to head up to bed. Are you coming?"

"I will in a few minutes," Lucas promised her. "I'm going to start preparing for my case. I don't want to screw up again."

"Do you need any help in practicing the questions?" Brooke offered. Even though she was tired, she was willing to stay up and help Lucas.

Lucas gave her a grateful smile. "That's sweet, but I think that I can handle it." They then said good-night to each other before Brooke headed up to bed. Lucas then grabbed his laptop from his hiding space and turned it on. He waited impatiently until the laptop came to the main screen. He then went to his email and started typing a new message to a person that he hoped would help him win custody of Maddie for good.


	27. The Same Deep Water as You

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Seven<strong>

** The Same Deep Water as You**

The next morning, Brooke opened her eyes and looked around. She was surprised to find herself in her old bedroom at Lucas's house. She then remembered what had happened the day before. She was still trying to adjust to being awake when she heard the door creak open. She looked over and saw Maddie carrying Lucy. She gave her a wide smile. "Hey, Maddie. What are you doing up this early?"

Maddie shook her head. "It's not early," she told her. "It's breakfast time."

"What is your daddy cooking today?" Brooke asked.

"Daddy's not here," Maddie replied. Brooke frowned. "He left us a note," she said as she handed it to her. "What does it say?" she asked her as she climbed onto the bed.

Brooke read the note. "Daddy went to the River Court. He will be back later," she told her. "So I guess I will be taking care of your breakfast today."

"Can I still play hooky?" Maddie asked.

Brooke laughed. "Yeah, you can still play hooky. Now let's see if we can find some breakfast." She pushed back the covers and helped Maddie off of the bed. A few minutes later, they were sitting at the kitchen table, eating their breakfasts.

Just then, they heard a ringtone. Brooke grabbed her cell-phone from her purse, hoping that it was Rachel. She didn't even have a chance to speak before her best friend started the conversation. _"Guess what? Owen and I have decided to get married,"_ she squealed. Brooke couldn't respond. She was too shocked to. She could only listen as Rachel continued. _"Actually, we have decided to elope. And where's the perfect place to elope? It's Las Vegas, of course. And I want you and Lucas to be our witnesses. We're planning to do it next weekend."_

"Unfortunately, this isn't the right time for either of us," Brooke replied. She quickly explained her reasons before Rachel could protest. "Lucas is still dealing with the whole custody trial. And there are some personal issues with me going on." She didn't tell Maddie that she was moving out yet and she didn't want to tell her right then.

_"That's exactly why you two should come. Besides, it will only be for the weekend. And if Lucas really doesn't want leave Maddie, then bring her along. She could be my flower girl. And it may be Las Vegas, but there are plenty of things for you guys could take her to."_

Brooke sighed. "I'll have to talk to Lucas and get back to you."

_"Ok, but don't take too long,"_ Rachel told her before they hung up.

Brooke couldn't believe that Rachel was planning to marry her new boyfriend so quickly. She barely even knew him. She started muttering to herself when she noticed that Maddie was still in the room. "Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for the day?" she suggested. Maddie nodded. As Brooke cleaned up, she heard the front door open.

"Is anybody home?" a familiar voice called. Brooke turned to see Haley walking into the kitchen. They exchanged greetings before Haley spoke again. "Hey, I didn't expect you here. Where's Lucas?" she asked. Brooke showed her the note. Haley glanced at it before turning back to her friend. "So what are your plans today?"

Brooke shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. Why do you ask?"

"Because I thought it would be nice if we could hang out together," Haley replied. Brooke was quiet as she continued. "Look, I know that you're still mad at me. And you have every right to be. I should have defended you when Peyton told us Lucas's secret. And when Nathan accused you of being a traitor. But I just stood there and let everyone yell at you. I don't know what I was thinking. In my heart, I knew that you would never do that to us. But I listened to my head instead. I can't tell you how sorry I am. Is there any way that you can forgive me?"

There was silence before Brooke started to speak. However, she didn't have a chance as Maddie came back downstairs. She gave her a wide smile. "Hi Aunt Haley. I get to play hooky again."

Haley returned the smile. "I know. What does your daddy have planned for you guys today?"

Maddie shrugged. "I don't know," she replied as they heard the backdoor open. They turned to see Lucas walking into the room. Maddie ran over and embraced him in a tight hug. "Daddy, can we go to the beach today?"

Lucas gave her a smile. "We sure can. We'll go right after lunch. Now why don't you go and play in your bedroom? I want to talk to Aunt Haley and Brooke for a few moments." Maddie was disappointed that she had to leave, but she obeyed his orders. Brooke and Haley exchanged looks before turning back to Lucas. He couldn't help smiling as he spoke. "Our problems are over. I have contacted someone who is willing to tell the truth about whether or not Peyton has been trying to keep in contact all of these years, Grandma Mae Scott."

Haley looked at him shocked. "Are you kidding me, Luke? Your grandmother isn't the right person to be testifying for you. Do you not remember during the trial where Peyton confessed that it was your grandparents who gave her updates about Maddie over the years?" she reminded him.

Lucas nodded. "Yes, but that's not the whole story." Haley frowned in confusion. "She will explain it all when she is on the stand next week. Right now, I'm going to get ready and spend the day with my daughter." He then left them without another word.

Haley couldn't believe him. "He is crazy if he thinks that Mae will help us convince the judge that Maddie belongs with Lucas. I'm surprised that he would want to talk to her in the first place." She suddenly dropped the subject as she turned back to Brooke. "So are you going to take me up on my offer?"

Brooke thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think I will. Let me go and get ready. I'll be downstairs as soon as I can."

A short time later, Haley and Brooke were walking through the halls of the high school. Haley had wanted to show Brooke where the love story of both Naley and Leyton began. However, Brooke was confused. "I thought Lucas and Peyton didn't talk to each other until their first year of college."

Haley nodded. "They did, but Lucas started his crush on Peyton here. They worked together a few times on school projects. But that was it and it bothered Lucas. So that's why he pursued her when he met her at Duke. I told him to forget about her, but he was persistent. The only good thing that came out of his marriage to Peyton is my adorable niece."

Brooke nodded in agreement. As they walked past the library, she noticed that Mia was in there. They decided to go and join her. However, they stopped dead in their tracks when they found out that Mia wasn't alone. Peyton suddenly appeared out from between the bookshelves. Haley did her best to smile as she spoke. "Hey Peyton."

Peyton smiled back. "Hey, check it out. It's the people who want to take my daughter away from me."

Brooke glared at her. "Do you really want to go there? After all the crap you've pulled, do you really think you deserve to say that?"

Haley instantly stopped her and started pulling her towards the door. "Come on, Brooke. Even if she is a bitch, she's not worth it."

"See, this is why I don't want Maddie in Tree Hill," Peyton called. "Her so-called family is a bad influence on her."

Brooke turned around for a quick second. "And what makes you believe that you aren't?" she called back. She waited for Haley to let her out, but Haley couldn't get the door opened. Brooke frowned as she saw the problem. "What the hell? There's no door handle."

Peyton tried not to laugh as Mia noticed something that she hadn't earlier when they first came in. "They're fixing them over the weekend," she told them as she showed them the clipboard with the paper on it.

Brooke tried to remain calm. "No problem. We'll just wait until someone finds us. Then we can get out of here."

Haley made a face. "Actually, school isn't in session today." Brooke looked at her surprised. "Why do you think that the hallways were so quiet?"

Brooke didn't want to give up. "What about Nathan? Isn't he in his office?" she asked hopefully. "There has to someone still here. Otherwise, the school would be locked."

"Nathan is taking advantage of the day off," Haley replied as she tried the school phone. However, nobody would answer.

"Even if there is someone else here, they don't know that we're in the library," Peyton added as she checked her phone. "And they aren't going to check up on us."

Haley gave her a look. "You're not helping." She then checked her own phone. "Can anyone get reception?" she asked. Brooke and Peyton shook their heads. "Me neither. So I guess we're staying here for awhile. Can we handle that?" she asked as she turned to Peyton.

Peyton didn't say anything for a few moments. "As long as none of you give me a lecture about motherhood, I'm good," she replied before she walked away from them and headed to another part of the library.

Mia thought for a moment. "You know, we could check if we have Internet. Then we could send an email message to someone and tell them to come and let us out," she suggested. Before anybody could respond, she was on the computer. A few minutes later, Mia gave them a wide smile. "Hey, we have Internet," she told them. Brooke and Haley then gathered around the computer. "So who do you want to send an email to?"

"Why don't we try Victoria?" Haley suggested as she turned to Brooke. "She's working today, right?"

"Actually, she's still in town," Brooke replied as Peyton came back over to them. "What about Lily?"

"We could try, but she might be in class. Then she is planning to drive down for the Easter weekend," Haley replied. "And Deb is helping out at the café today. So she wouldn't be able to check her email."

"Why don't we try Lily first?" Mia asked. She was tired of the suggestions being shot down. She then let Haley take control of the computer. After the email message was sent, there was an awkward silence before Mia spoke again. "So what do you want to do now while we wait for an answer?" There was silence among the three women. She then looked at the screen. "Well, it looks like Lily replied already. Wow, she's quick."

"What did she say?" Brooke asked anxiously.

Haley read over Mia's shoulder as Mia told her the good news. "She was able to contact Victoria. She is on her way to rescue us." Brooke and Haley exchanged smiles as Peyton just looked annoyed. Mia noticed the look. "Hey, it's a good thing that we're getting out. You don't have to deal with us anymore."

Peyton immediately corrected her. "No, that's not true. I will have to deal with them on Monday when I have to fight again to see my child." Brooke was about to protest when Peyton didn't let her. "I have the right to see Maddie. I'm her mother, not you. So you should stop acting like you are. You are just a houseguest who is butting into my personal business a little too much."

Brooke scoffed at her. "I may not be her mother, but at least I've been there for her. I take care of her when she's sick. I comfort her when she has nightmares. I read her stories at bedtime. I play tea parties with her. I take her to the park and push her on the swings. I may have pushed into your personal business with the Scotts, but it's only because I was looking out for Lucas and Maddie."

Peyton didn't say anything as the door opened up. Victoria poked her head in. "Are you girls ok?" she asked them. They nodded and thanked her as they left the library. However, Peyton didn't say a word to her as she went past her. Victoria waited until they were in the parking lot before she followed Peyton to her car. "We need to talk."

Peyton just rolled her eyes. "Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it. I'm sure I've heard it all before."

Victoria couldn't argue with that. "That's probably true, but I want to talk to you as a mother, not as Lucas's lawyer."

Peyton wasn't surprised. "What gives you the right to talk to me as a mom when you weren't even one?" she snapped. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go and scold Lucas for losing our daughter."

Victoria wasn't going to give up. "Just listen to what I have to say. I promise you that I won't give you a lecture."

Peyton didn't answer for a moment. "Fine. You can follow me to my house."

Victoria nodded in agreement as she noticed the concerned looks on Brooke's and Haley's face. She excused herself and walked over to them. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you talking to Peyton?" Brooke demanded. She didn't mean to sound so angry, but she didn't believe that it was good for her mother to be talking to Peyton.

"Because I'm working on getting Lucas to keep custody of Maddie without the burden of a second trial," Victoria replied. Brooke and Haley looked at her surprised. "I believe that I can get through to Peyton."

Brooke was skeptical about this. "I don't think anybody can get through to Peyton," she said. "I've already tried and it didn't work."

Haley also wasn't sure about this plan. "Brooke's right, Victoria. A lot of us have already tried to convince Peyton to change her mind about suing for full custody of Maddie. And none of us has succeeded. What makes you so sure that you can?"

Victoria just gave her a smile. "Because I have a different approach than you and your family does." Haley and Brooke exchanged confused looks. "Just trust me," she assured them before she headed back to her own car.

"Do you think that she can convince Peyton to back off?" Mia asked them. She couldn't help but overhear the conversation. "Because I've even tried to talk to her. But she didn't want to hear it from me."

Brooke sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "But it doesn't hurt for her to try."

It wasn't long before Victoria was sitting on the living room couch, waiting for Peyton to come back with her water. Once Peyton had, she thanked her before she got right down to business. She cleared her thought before speaking. "I know about the camera that you put in Karen's Café to spy on the Scott family. I also know that you know about Maddie running away while she was in Lucas's care. And you now are probably thinking that you have a clear shot in winning custody again. And if you are lucky, you probably will win again. But you and I both know that it's only because you're her mother, not because you're the right person to take care of her."

Peyton stopped her right there. "Lucas never gave me the chance to be a mother."

Victoria nodded in agreement. "You're right. He didn't," she admitted. Peyton raised her eyebrows in surprise. She wasn't expecting her to say that. "But you shouldn't blame him. He was only doing what he thought was best for Maddie."

Peyton gave her a look. "I thought that you weren't going to give me a lecture. If you are, you can leave right now. I'm tired of hearing them."

"I'm not here to give you a lecture," Victoria assured her. "I'm just trying to help you to understand why it's best for Maddie to stay with Lucas. Do you know why she ran away from Lucas?"

"No and I don't care," Peyton replied as she went back into the kitchen. Victoria got up and followed her. "It just shows that Maddie would be better off with me and Julian in Los Angeles." She then realized her mistake. "Did I say that? I meant Charlotte."

Victoria just ignored her. "Maddie ran away because she didn't want to be put in the middle of you two any longer. She thought that all of the arguing would stop if she left." She could see that Peyton wasn't listening. "And it wouldn't get any better if you win full custody and move her to Charlotte or Los Angeles."

Peyton turned to her. "How would you know if she would hate it there?" she snapped. "Are you a mind reader?"

Victoria ignored that snide remark. "Because her whole life is in Tree Hill," she reminded her. "So it wouldn't be fair to move her across the country just so you could get revenge on Lucas and his family for not letting you back into their lives."

Peyton gave her a look. "That's not true," she exclaimed angrily. "I came back to Tree Hill because I was ready to be a mother again. I'll admit that I did love Lucas, but he didn't care about me or my needs. He only cared about himself. I couldn't take it anymore. So I left. If I would have known that he was going to be such a bad parent, I would have taken Maddie with me." She then gave Victoria a fake smile. "But I'm sure he has told you all about that, hasn't he?"

"I'm not going to confirm or deny that he told me his parenting stories," Victoria replied. "But I am going to ask you this: do you love your daughter?" she asked her. Peyton was quiet. "Because you need to think about what's best for her."

Peyton shook her head. "So I you're suggesting to let her stay with Lucas? And I won't see her ever again?" she reminded her. "No thank you."

Victoria was done with her. "The more you push her, the more she will push you away," she warned her. "And once that happens, it will be harder to get that mother-daughter relationship back. That's if you even had one in the first place." She then headed out of the house, knowing that she just made Peyton rethink her decision.


	28. Everything in Its Right Place

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese. There's a poll in my profile to vote for the next Naley story.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Eight<strong>

** Everything in Its Right Place**

Maddie and the other children ran around the yard as they searched for the hidden Easter eggs. The adults watched fondly. It was Easter Sunday and Keith and Karen were having the celebration at their house. There were more people than usual since Haley's parents, her older sister Quinn and her family and Mouth and his family had all come to join the celebration. The only ones who were missing were Jake and Jenny.

As soon as Brooke and Millie met, they instantly became friends. They were sitting at one of the picnic tables with Quinn and Haley. "I don't know if any of you know this, but Marvin and I are planning to move here." Her friends were surprised, but pleased. "I think Marvin has been missing his friends. And since I'm a stay at home mom, I don't have to worry about being afraid to leave my job to move."

"Millie, you're our friend too," Haley reminded her. "And we're thrilled that you guys are moving back here." She then looked around the yard and noticed that there was one person missing. She wondered where Lucas had gone to. He had been outside when the party first had started. Now he was nowhere in sight.

She quietly excused herself and went inside the house. She didn't have to look very far when she saw him in the den, looking at the different pictures of her and her siblings growing up. She cleared her throat and he turned her way. He showed her the picture that he was looking at and she gave him a smile. It was a family picture of Haley's parents and their seven children shortly after Haley was born. Lucas put the picture back where it belonged. "Why can't my family be like yours?"

"No family's perfect, Luke," Haley told him. "You know that."

Lucas let out a heavy sigh. "I've been thinking about it and I have decided to give Peyton custody of Maddie." Haley was stunned by his words. "I don't want to put Maddie through another grueling trial. I don't deserve to be her father."

"Don't say that. You're a great dad, Lucas," Haley assured him. She knew that he was still blaming himself for what had happened with Maddie. "You just had one bad day. That's all. We've all made mistakes as parents. That doesn't make us bad parents for life."

Lucas wasn't convinced. Before he could respond, they heard another car pull up. He looked out the window and wasn't surprised to see that it was Peyton. He went out the front door. Haley was right behind him.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised that you crashed our party? What do you want, Peyton?" he demanded as the party goers suddenly stopped what they were doing. They were quiet as they listened to the conversation.

By now, the children had finished their search and were running back over to their parents and grandparents. However, their attention soon drew to the woman who had arrived. Karen hugged Maddie protectively as Peyton spoke. "I'm here to give you this," she said as she gave him a thick envelope. Lucas was afraid to open it. He didn't say anything as Peyton spoke again. "You can thank your lawyer for this," she said before she started walking back to her car.

Lucas was more confused than ever. The only ones who had a clue were Haley and Brooke. He just stared at the envelope as his family and friends walked up to the front porch. "What is it, Daddy?" Maddie asked him as she and Jamie hurried up to him to get a closer look.

"I don't know, Maddie," Lucas replied. "I haven't opened it yet. And I'm a little too afraid to."

"You'll never know what is inside if you don't open it," his mother told him.

Lucas knew that she had a point. He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers that were in it. He looked them over as everyone waited anxiously to hear what they said. He frowned as he read the papers. "I don't get it. This is the custody papers saying that I have full custody of Maddie with visitation rights for Peyton," he said confused. "What does this mean?" he asked as he handed the papers to Haley.

Haley didn't even have to read it to understand what it meant. "I think it means that there won't be a retrial tomorrow," she said as she and Brooke exchanged knowing looks. "Peyton is letting Maddie stay with her family." Lucas was still confused, but he soon realized that Haley was right. "I guess Victoria's plan really worked."

"I get to stay with you for good?" Maddie squealed happily. She couldn't believe her ears. Lucas gave her a wide smile and nodded. She then embraced her dad in a tight hug as everyone clapped and cheered. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Princess," Lucas replied as he gave her a kiss. He then heard a click and turned to see Quinn taking a picture of them. They then posed for a few pictures before they went back to the party. This time, Lucas joined them. He couldn't help but have a smile on his face.

Maddie then encouraged him to come and play with them in the yard. "Lucas, please don't let her get that dress dirty," Karen said. She had bought the dress for Maddie and didn't want to see her ruin it. She had let her run around in it before because she knew that she wasn't going to play sports. "Why don't you change in your play clothes now?" she suggested.

Haley turned to her son. "Jamie, you go ahead and change too. Why don't you show everyone the shirt your dad and I got you for Easter?" she asked as she gave him a wink. Jamie smiled in return and dashed into the house. Maddie, Logan and Bridget were right behind him.

Lucas raised her eyebrows. "You bought him a shirt? What kind of Easter present is that?" he teased her.

"You would buy one too if you were in my position," Haley replied. Lucas gave her a confused look. "Of course, that may not be until you start dating." Lucas was once again confused. "You'll understand once Jamie shows you his shirt."

Lucas then looked at the second paper that was in the envelope. "Actually, I think I do already. This is an adoption paper that shows that Peyton is allowing whoever will be my future wife adopt Maddie as her daughter."

Haley was surprised. "Really? That doesn't sound like something Peyton would do."

"Maybe she finally came to her senses," Lucas replied. Haley knew that she had help with that. She wouldn't have done it on her own. They then turned to see the children running out of the house. "Come on over here and let me see that special shirt," Lucas called. Jamie and Maddie obediently ran over to him. Jamie proudly showed off his shirt and Lucas quickly read it before turning to Haley. "Is this true?" he asked her as Jamie started to show the others. "Is Jamie going to be a big brother?"

Haley gave him a smile as Nathan walked over to her and stood behind her. "Yes, it is," she admitted as he embraced her in a hug. She didn't have a chance to explain as her friends and family congratulated them. They embraced the two expectant parents with hugs and kisses. However, nobody was surprised to hear that they were pregnant. They all knew that Haley hadn't been feeling herself lately. "I wanted to wait until after my first trimester was over. But Nathan and I didn't think there was a better time to tell you guys."

"I'm going to have another cousin?" Maddie asked. "I hope it's a girl this time."

"No way," Jamie protested. "I'm going to have a little brother. Right, Momma?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, we're just going to have to wait and see," Haley replied. There was a short pause before she spoke again. "But it would be ok if you had a little sister, right? After all, you would be the big brother who looks after her and protects her from any guy who tries to come near her."

"He is already doing that with Maddie," Lucas reminded her. "Especially from his friend Chuck." Haley gave him a look. Lucas then knew that he wasn't helping. He took his nephew's hand. "Let me give you some advice on being an older brother," he told him as he led him to the front porch.

Maddie then turned to her aunt and Brooke. "Do you think I will get to be a big sister?" she asked them.

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "Of course you will. Your daddy just needs to find the right person."

"Like you?" Maddie asked. Brooke was about to respond when the little girl went on. "You can date Daddy, can't you?"

Brooke laughed. "I could, but your daddy and I don't have those types of feelings for each other."

"How do you know if you didn't go out with him yet?" Maddie pointed out.

Brooke looked at her in amazement. "How did you get to be so smart?"

Maddie smiled proudly. "I'm a Scott. That's how."

Brooke and the others laughed as Lucas and Jamie returned. Jamie ran over to his parents. "I don't mind if I have a little sister, Momma," he told her. "Because even if I do, I'm going to be the best big brother ever."

Haley gave her son a smile. "That's what I want to hear," she replied. "Now go and play with your cousins."

"Why are you so determined to convince Jamie about the possibility of having a sister?" Brooke asked Haley as Jamie and the rest of the children left their parents again.

"Because I think that it will be a girl," Haley replied. "This pregnancy feels so different from my pregnancy with Jamie."

"When is the baby due?" Millie asked anxiously.

"The baby is due sometime in November," Haley told her. "I'm only seven weeks along. So we have awhile before we can find out what the sex is."

"If it is a girl, can I throw you a baby shower?" Brooke asked her hopefully. "I know it's your second child, but I wasn't around when Jamie was born."

"I'll have to think about it. I want to get through the first trimester first before I start making plans about having another baby shower."

Lily frowned. "Does this mean that you won't be going on the Mother's Day spa weekend with us?"

Brooke had completely forgotten about that. She waited until after Haley had told a relieved Lily that she would before speaking. "I never did ask Victoria. Is there still time to do that?" she asked as she turned to Karen. She nodded. "Great. I'll call her right now and ask her before I forget."

"Why don't you just ride along with me?" Lucas offered. "I want to go over there and thank her for whatever she did to convince Peyton to change her mind."

"She told us that she wanted to try a different approach," Haley told him. "But she didn't say what it was. I just hope that Peyton is serious about letting you keep full custody of Maddie."

"I think she is," Lucas replied. "I don't think she would have given me the adoption papers if she wasn't."

Later that evening, Lucas and Maddie returned home. Brooke was right behind them. After Brooke put Maddie to bed, she came back downstairs. Lucas was surprised. "That was fast," he noted.

"Maddie fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow," Brooke told him. "I didn't even get a chance to read her a story. She must have really worn herself out today."

Lucas laughed. "If you think she was excited today, just wait until it's her birthday," he replied. "Then you'll see how excited she can be." Brooke just smiled as he spoke again. "That was nice of you to invite your mom with you for the Mother's Day spa weekend. You two are really going to have a fun time with my mom, Haley, Deb and Lily."

"I just feel bad that Maddie isn't going with us," Brooke said. "She really hates that she will be stuck with you boys."

Lucas laughed. "I know, but I think she is just too young to go with you. She'll have plenty of chances when she is older."

Brooke became quiet before she spoke again. "Maddie was trying to play matchmaker again. She wanted us to go out on a date and see if we could be more than friends."

"What did you say this time?" Lucas asked.

"I didn't really have an excuse this time," Brooke replied. "Besides, she isn't the only one who has been asking me about dating again. Haley has been on my case too. I don't think that anybody understands that I'm not ready to date. I'm still trying to get over Julian's engagement to Peyton. I still can't believe that they got engaged while he and I are still married. I know that they've been together for awhile, but they still could have waited until after our divorce to get engaged."

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. If Peyton hadn't left me with Maddie like she did, I probably would have found someone else to get married to. But as you know, I lost my faith in love."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I don't seem to believe in my favorite saying either these days," she admitted.

Lucas looked at her surprised. "Really? I never would have thought that with the way you told Julian's mom off. Or when you told Julian and Peyton how happy you were for them when we first found out about their engagement."

Brooke didn't answer for a moment. "I know I did. But that was only to hide the hurt that I was feeling. I didn't want him back, but I didn't expect him to continue treating me like shit after I moved out." She then realized her mistake and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. I know that you don't like to use that type of language in the house."

"It's ok. I understand," Lucas replied. "Just make sure that you don't do it around Maddie."

"I'll do it as long as you control your temper," Brooke replied. Lucas looked at her confused. "Maddie told me about the nursery." Lucas became embarrassed as she gave him a gentle smile. "I think it's sweet of you that you wanted to create a nursery for my baby. I'm sorry that it didn't work out, but now we can fix up the nursery up together for your niece or nephew."

Lucas knew that was a good point. "Yeah, I guess we can, can't we? Do you think that you can take some time off from packing and searching for a new apartment to help us next weekend?"

Brooke made a face. "Actually, we can't." Before Lucas could ask, she answered for him. "Rachel is eloping to her boyfriend in Las Vegas next weekend and she wants the three of us to be her witnesses."

Lucas thought for a moment. "Didn't she just meet the guy?"

Brooke nodded. "I shouldn't be surprised. Rachel is always doing crazy stuff like this. I just thought that she would want to take her relationship slow. But I guess that she wants to get pregnant so she can start her family. I hope she knows that it's not that easy."

"How do you know if Rachel and Owen aren't right for each other?" Lucas asked. "You haven't even met him." Brooke knew that was true. "You should meet him before judging him."

Brooke hated to admit it, but she knew that he was right. "Maddie was right. Scotts are smart."

Lucas laughed. "So are you. You were right to walk away from Julian. He doesn't deserve you."

Brooke smiled at his compliment. "Well, Peyton doesn't deserve you or Maddie. But I'm glad that she changed her mind about suing for full custody."

Lucas had to agree. "I'm just glad that the nightmare is over and we can get back to our normal lives."

The next morning, Victoria was eating her breakfast when she heard someone pounding at her door. She could tell that the person was impatient and hurried over to the front door. She wasn't surprised when Sylvia walked into the front hallway. She glared at Victoria as she turned to her. "I heard about your little conversation with Peyton. What the hell do you think that you're doing?"

Victoria kept her cool. "It's nice to see you too, Sylvia." She just walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "And I was just doing my job. I may have talked Peyton into it, but she was the one who made the final decision."

Sylvia couldn't believe her ears. "You can't honestly tell me that you think that Julian and Brooke are better off divorced. Can't you see that neither of them are happy? They need to stay together for the sake of our place in society."

Victoria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So that is what this is all about? You're afraid that you will lose your place among New York society? I think you already lost that when Julian cheated on Brooke in the first place." Sylvia was about to respond when Victoria continued. "If you love your son, you will accept Peyton as your new daughter-in-law. He has clearly moved on from Brooke. So you need to accept reality. Because they are_ not _getting back together." She didn't know why Sylvia couldn't get it through her head that Julian and Brooke weren't getting back together.

"Why am I not surprised that you are against them?" Sylvia asked. There was a short pause before she spoke again. "That's right. Because you were against their relationship in the first place. You pushed your daughter away so much that she and Julian had to elope and took off to Charlotte."

Victoria scoffed at her. "So you're blaming me for them getting married and moving away from New York? They were young and in love. You and I both know that they would have done it, no matter what."

Sylvia could see that Victoria was adamant about her decision. "Well, I can see why you and Richard divorced. You two certainly have different views on how to live your lives now. I guess there is no point in staying any longer. I can see that you have made up your mind." She was about to leave when she turned back to Victoria. "You're making a big mistake in letting Brooke divorce Julian."

Victoria shook her head. "No, I'm not," she replied. "I'm letting her make her own decisions. And she is choosing not to let Julian back into her life." She just watched as Sylvia walked out of the house, relieved to see the woman leave.


	29. All That You Can't Leave Behind

**A/N**: So there is no confusion, my penname is now** NALEYAAF23**. Thank you for the awesome reviews. And I like to thank my awesome beta: Leeese. There's a poll in my profile to vote for the next Naley story.

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><p><strong>Chapter Twenty Nine<strong>

** All That You Can't Leave Behind**

Lucas was staring off into space when he heard a car pull up in front of the house. He looked out the window and recognized the vehicle. He wasn't surprised when he saw that it was Peyton. He had asked her to come over so they could talk. Even though Peyton was letting Maddie stay with him, he still wanted an explanation.

He waited until she was on the front porch before opening the door. He let her into the front hall and led her to the kitchen. There was an awkward silence before Peyton spoke. "What do you want now, Lucas? Because I gave you what you wanted: full custody of Maddie with visitation rights for me."

Lucas stopped her right there. "See, this is what I'm talking about. You once again made a decision that I never had a say in. You never used to do that. What happened to the Peyton that I knew back in college? What happened to the Peyton who I fell in love with and thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with?"

Peyton tried not to laugh. "I haven't been that Peyton in over five years. And to be fair, you started making decisions without my consent first." Lucas was about to protest when she continued. "Don't try to deny it, Lucas. You know that you did."

Lucas sighed. "I didn't get you pregnant on purpose," he exclaimed. "How many times I do have to tell you that? And in case you forgot about my confession in court, I didn't want Maddie in the first place. I was just as scared as you were to be a new parent."

"I'm not talking about that," Peyton said. "I'm talking about when we moved to Tree Hill. I knew that you were close to your family, but I didn't want to move back here." Lucas looked at her shocked. "I had too many painful memories of my mother here. My dad was always away on business. So why would I come back to this town?" Lucas again was about to speak when Peyton cut him off. "Yes, I could have spoken up back then. But I thought I could handle it. We would take things slow. We would see the world and perhaps fall in love with another city. But then I found out that I was pregnant with Maddie."

Lucas already knew the next part. "You knew that your dreams would disappear so you decided to abort the baby. Why didn't you? Did you really decide not to because of Haley? Or did you not do it because you knew that I would be hurt if I found out about it?"

Peyton scoffed at him. "Haley has a completely different version of the events than I do. I didn't abort the baby because of her or you. I wanted that mother-daughter relationship that I missed out on. But it was a hard pregnancy. And as soon as Maddie came out, she was Daddy's little girl."

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "So you left because you were jealous of my close relationship with our daughter?"

"No, I left because I wasn't ready to be a full-time parent," Peyton replied.

Lucas was tired of her excuses. "Neither was I, but I was willing to accept responsibility to raise Maddie. I don't understand why you couldn't do the same. Or tell me how you were feeling. We could have worked it out."

"Well, we'll never find out now, will we?" Peyton replied. "So we might as well forget about it."

"I still don't understand why you are still requesting visitation rights or why you are giving permission to my future wife to adopt Maddie," Lucas said confused.

"Because I have finally realized that I will never become the mother that I wanted to be to Maddie," Peyton replied. "So I might as well take the backseat and let someone else like Brooke do it."

Lucas tried not to laugh. "Why the hell is everyone trying to get me and Brooke together?"

"Because I know you. And you give her the same look that you gave me when you were in love with me," Peyton replied. "You can try to deny it, but you know it's true."

Lucas sighed. "Even if I did like her in that way, I wouldn't ask her out until after the divorce is final."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "You sound like Sylvia," she said. "She hates me and would love for Brooke and Julian to get back together. Nobody can seem to get through to her; not even her own son. Julian finally told her that if she can't accept me, then she can't be in our lives. So I'm not sure what she is going to do now."

"Thanks for the warning," Lucas replied. There was then an awkward silence before he spoke again. "So you're serious about this? You're not going to try and take Maddie away from me again?"

"I won't as long as you allow me to see her when I come back to visit," Peyton replied. "In case you didn't hear, Julian and I are moving to Los Angeles." Lucas couldn't believe his ears. "Like I said before, I was only here for Maddie."

"What about the café?" Lucas demanded. "What the hell was that all about? Was that just to drive me and my family up the wall, thinking that we had competition?"

Peyton gave him a look. "Why is it that everything I do has an ulterior motive around it?"

"Why else would you put your café across the street from my mom's cafe?" Lucas pointed out. Peyton didn't answer. "You know what? I'm glad that we divorced. I can see that it really wouldn't have worked out between us. You're too dishonest, selfish and untrustworthy. The only selfless thing you did was letting me have full custody of Maddie. And I'll be grateful for that for the rest of my life. But you've changed into a person I don't recognize anymore. So I hope that you and Julian are happy together."

Peyton didn't say anything as they heard the front door open. They were quiet as Rachel came bursting in the room. "Where the hell is my best friend?" she asked excitedly before she suddenly stopped. She turned red as a man who Lucas assumed to be Owen came in right behind her. "I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" she asked.

Lucas didn't even have a chance to answer as Peyton spoke up. "No, I was just leaving," she said before she headed towards the door. She didn't even say good-bye to Lucas as she walked past Rachel and Owen. They then heard the door slam shut.

"I assume that was Peyton," Rachel said. Lucas nodded. She then frowned. "I thought that you two worked everything out."

Lucas sighed. "There were a few loose ends to tie up," he replied. "If you're looking for Brooke, she is apartment hunting in Wilmington with Haley. She should be back soon." He then decided to introduce himself to Rachel's fiancé. "Hi, I'm Lucas Scott. Congratulations on your engagement."

Owen smiled proudly. "Thanks. I know it was sudden, but neither of us like to take things slow."

"I'm not one who you should worry about impressing," Lucas replied as they heard the door open again.

Brooke didn't have a chance to speak as Rachel embraced her best friend in a tight hug. "I'm sorry that I didn't call, but I wanted to surprise you," she told her. She didn't let her answer as she grabbed Owen's hand. "Owen, this is my best friend Brooke Davis and her friend Haley James-Scott," she said as she did introductions. "Guys, I would like you to meet my fiancé, Owen Morello."

Owen gave them a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you, especially you, Brooke. I've heard a lot about you."

Brooke put on a fake smile. "I've heard a lot about you too. Rachel has been raving about you for days. It's funny how you're a recovering alcoholic. Yet, you met Rachel in a bar, right?"

Rachel laughed nervously. She knew it was best to change the subject. "So where's Maddie?" she asked.

"She is spending the day with my parents," Lucas replied. He could see that Rachel was a little disappointed. He wasn't surprised. Everybody always hated when Maddie wasn't around. "Why don't Haley and I leave you guys alone so you two can catch up?" he suggested. Haley happily followed him outside.

"So how did it go with Peyton?" Haley asked him.

Lucas gave her a look. "Don't ask. All we did was fight the whole time. We didn't really get anything accomplished." He then let out a sigh. "It made me realize that divorcing was for the best. We wouldn't have made it otherwise." He then gave Haley a smile. "I really admire you and Nathan sometimes. Even though you two married early, you guys really have made it work."

Haley laughed. "It's funny because I admire you." Lucas looked at her surprised. "For the last five years, you have been taking care of Maddie by yourself. Yes, you've had help from us. But most of it was all you. And I think you are doing a wonderful job with Maddie so far."

Lucas smiled proudly. "Thanks Hales. I needed to hear that."

Haley smiled in return. "It's no problem. Now if you would excuse me, I have to go pee," she replied before she left him.

That evening, Lucas and Brooke took Rachel and Owen out to dinner. Lucas knew that he had to keep Brooke in line. He didn't want to admit it, but he did think that it had been rude of Brooke to insult Owen like that in front of Rachel. He couldn't help but mention it on the drive over to the restaurant. "I have never seen you act like that," Lucas told her.

Brooke sighed. "I guess I'm still upset about her choosing to marry Owen without really getting to know him first."

"No offense, but you aren't giving him a chance either," Lucas pointed out. Brooke didn't want to admit that he was right. "Why don't we see how dinner goes before you break Rachel and Owen up?"

Brooke was quiet and didn't say anything more until they reached the restaurant. They were led to their seats where Rachel and Owen were waiting for them. They greeted them as Lucas pulled out Brooke's seat for her. Brooke was surprised, but pleased that he was willing to do that for her. She then cleared her throat before she spoke. "So tell us about yourself, Owen."

"Well, I grew up in Queens, New York," Owen told her. He then went on to tell Lucas about his childhood. Brooke soon grew uninterested and started a conversation with Rachel. However, Lucas continued to listen to Owen and occasionally added his own story into the conversation.

Lucas then decided that it was safe to ask about their weekend plans. "So are you two still planning to get married in Las Vegas this weekend?"

Owen and Rachel exchanged looks before turning back to Lucas and Brooke. "Actually, we have talked about it some more and decided that it wouldn't be right to elope there," Rachel said. "After all, we live in New York. So we might as well get married there. We're planning to get married sometime this summer." She then turned to Brooke. "Are you still willing to be my maid of honor?"

Brooke gave her a wide smile. "Of course I will," she replied as Rachel embraced her best friend in a hug. "I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world. And I'm sure Maddie would love to be your flower girl."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "And I understand if you don't want me to be your best man."

"Well, I don't really have any other guy friends," Owen replied. "So you're welcome to the job."

Lucas gave him a smile. "I'll take it. Just make sure that it's not during Father's Day weekend or Fourth of July weekend. I'm going camping with my family then." Brooke turned to him surprised. "And Maddie's birthday is on Fourth of July."

"I didn't know you liked camping," Brooke said.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, it now has become an annual tradition. You girls take off for your spa weekend for Mother's Day. And me, Keith and Nathan take care of the café for you. Then it is vice versa when the guys go camping and you girls stay behind. That includes Maddie. We tried taking her camping once when she was three. Unlike Jamie, she hated it. So she has stayed behind with Aunt Haley or Aunt Lily."

Rachel suddenly spoke up. "Well, the spa weekend sounds like fun. But I already have plans. We're going to visit Owen's parents that weekend. But we should definitely do a spa weekend sometime, just the two of us." Brooke nodded in agreement. Rachel then turned back to Lucas. "So you don't want us to get married during the summer holiday, huh? We weren't planning to anyway. Everybody would be too busy to go. So how old is Maddie going to be again?"

Lucas smiled proudly. "She is going to be five," he told her.

Rachel was surprised. "Wow, she is definitely not going to a little girl anymore, is she? I would love to have a little kid like her." She then excused herself and got up from her seat. Brooke knew where she was going and followed her to the restroom. They waited until they were alone before Rachel spoke. "So what is going on between you and Lucas?"

Brooke frowned as she started to fix up her make-up. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently. She knew exactly what Rachel meant, but she wanted to hear it from her.

"It looks like you and Lucas are really getting close. You're even being included in the family traditions. That's big. So what is with the apartment hunting in Wilmington?" she asked. She didn't have a chance to ask her earlier.

Brooke sighed. "I told you already. I need some space from Lucas and the Scott family. I know that they have all apologized especially Lucas and Nathan, but it's time for me to move on from Tree Hill."

"So you are going to run again?" Rachel asked. "Same old Brooke."

Brooke gave her a look. "I'm _not_ running away."

Rachel wasn't convinced. "Brooke, you moved to Charlotte to get away from your parents. Then when Julian cheated on you with Peyton, you ran away again to Tree Hill. Now you're moving again to get away from Lucas and the Scott family. Trust me, Brooke. You're running again." She didn't say anything more before she left the restroom.

Lucas couldn't help but notice how quiet Brooke was after she came back to the table. He tried to include her into the conversation, but it wasn't working. The silence continued during the drive home. He could tell something was bothering her, but he was afraid to ask. However, his curiosity got the better of him. "Are you ok?" he asked her.

Brooke was quiet for a moment before answering. "Do you believe that I'm running away from my problems again by moving to Wilmington?"

"Considering your past history, I do," Lucas admitted. "I understand that you need some space from us, but that doesn't mean that you should move out of town to do it. Maybe you could do something with the Tree Hill Café since Julian and Peyton are going to sell it."

"What could I do with a place like that?" Brooke asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure that you'll think of something." He gave her a comforting smile. "After all, Scotts aren't the only ones who are smart. You are too." Brooke just smiled in return. It was definitely something to think about.


	30. Taking the Plunge

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty<strong>

** Taking the Plunge**

Lucas carefully carried the suitcase down the stairs and set it down on the floor near the front door. He let out a heavy sigh as Brooke came down to the first floor. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for bringing my suitcase downstairs. I could have done it myself, but it was nice for you to help me."

Lucas smiled gratefully. "Well, I know how you girls love to over pack. So I thought I would save you the trouble and handle it myself."

"I just hope that my suitcase will fit in the trunk of Deb's car," Brooke said as she observed the size of her suitcase. She then frowned. "In fact, I don't understand how we are going to fit in her car."

A month had passed. It was finally the weekend that Brooke, Victoria and the Scott family members had been waiting for: the spa weekend. Brooke was so excited that she barely had any sleep over the last few nights.

Lucas tried not to laugh. "Did nobody tell you about our van?" he asked her. Brooke shook her head. "We don't use it very often. We tend to use it when we're all going on a vacation or camping trip together. That way, we all have plenty of room to put our stuff especially for Jamie and Maddie. You wouldn't believe all the stuff that they bring along for our trips."

Brooke gave him a look. "They're kids. They are supposed to have a lot of stuff to keep them entertained. Do you really want them to get bored on a car ride?" she asked him.

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What makes you such an expert?" he teased her.

Brooke gave him a small smile. "I've been reading a lot on parenting since I came here," she replied. "I wanted to make sure that I was a good parent." Lucas then realized that she was talking about her baby that she had lost.

"Well, you are getting a lot of practice with Maddie," Lucas pointed out. "And you're doing a great job with her. I can certainly trust you watching her for a few hours."

"What about for a whole weekend?" Brooke asked curiously. Lucas gave her a confused look. "Aren't you and the guys going camping next month for Father's Day? Who is going to watch Maddie that weekend?"

"Can we take one holiday at a time?" Lucas asked as they heard footsteps. They turned to see Maddie and they gave her a wide smile. "You're up really early. Have you come to say good-bye to Brooke?"

Maddie nodded as she embraced Brooke in a tight hug. Brooke then knelt down to the little girl's level and gave her a smile. "Hey, I'm only going to be gone for the weekend. I'm sure your dad has a lot of things planned for you two to do together." Brooke knew that Maddie was still unhappy. She knew exactly how to cheer her up. "When I get back, we'll have a lovely picnic lunch at the park, just the two of us."

Maddie instantly perked up. "Like what you're doing with your mommy?"

Brooke gave her a confused look. Lucas knew what his daughter meant and decided to clear it up for her. "She means that you two are having mother-daughter bonding time," he explained.

Brooke nodded understandingly. "I see." She then turned to Maddie. "Yeah, it's kind of like that." They then heard a knock at the door. "That must be your mom," she said as Maddie opened the door. Sure enough, it was Karen. They greeted each other as Lucas picked up the suitcase again and started carrying it outside to the van, where Deb was waiting for them. Brooke and his family were right behind him.

As Lucas put the suitcase in the back of the van, Nathan, Haley and Jamie joined the group. Nathan helped his brother out before putting Haley's suitcase next to Brooke's suitcase. Despite Haley's fears about losing the baby early, she managed to carry the baby successfully through the first trimester. She still had one more week to go, but she wasn't worried about losing the baby as much as she did when she first found out about the pregnancy.

It wasn't long before Victoria arrived with Lily. Since Lily and Victoria lived in the same city, Lily had just caught a ride with her. Soon, the van was loaded and the women said their good-byes. Even though Brooke promised a day with her, Maddie was still visibly disappointed about not coming along.

"Bye, Aunt Brooke," Jamie told Brooke as he embraced her in a hug. He had started referring Brooke as his aunt shortly after Maddie had been brought home safely. Brooke had been touched when she first heard it from him. At that moment, she knew that she really had been accepted as another member of the family.

Brooke smiled in return. "Bye, Jamie. You look after Maddie for me, ok?" she asked. Jamie nodded. Brooke could tell that he was serious about his job as a protector for Maddie. "Make sure my sidekick doesn't fight the bad guys without me."

"I won't," Maddie promised as Brooke found a seat next to Haley. The two fathers and their children waved good-bye as the van went down the road.

After Lucas and Jake dropped off the three kids at preschool, they headed to the café. As Lucas climbed out of the vehicle, he couldn't help but look across the street at the closed Tree Hill café. Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe that it's been over a month and the place is still for sale," he told his friend.

"I still can't believe that you haven't asked Brooke out on a date yet," Jake replied as Lucas unlocked the door. Lucas didn't have a chance to protest when Jake continued. "What the hell are you waiting for? It's been a month since you guys talked about trying it."

Lucas gave him a look. "Is it easy for you to date after having such a bad relationship with Nikki?"

"Nikki and I never really had a relationship in the first place," Jake reminded him. "We had a one night stand that resulted in Nikki's pregnancy. We were only together for Jenny's sake. And that didn't last very long. So I have no problem asking women out, but they seem to run away when I mention that I'm a single parent." Lucas understood where he was coming from. "You have a woman who already knows that you're a dad. And she loves Maddie and vice versa."

"But you also have to consider Brooke," Lucas pointed out. "She is still trying to get over her relationship with Julian, not to mention her miscarriage."

Jake rolled his eyes. He was tired of his friend's excuses. "I think she got over Julian the moment she found out that he was cheating on her with Peyton. And I think Brooke is recovering well from her miscarriage." Lucas knew he had a point. Brooke did seem better than she first did when it happened. "Speaking of Peyton, how are things between you two?" he asked hesitantly.

"Actually, things are pretty well between us," Lucas told him. Jake looked at him surprised. "She calls Maddie once a week and talks to her. She is planning to fly back for Maddie's birthday." Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe that Maddie is turning five."

Jake nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Jenny is turning five this month. Time flies fast when you're not looking." Lucas nodded in agreement as their customers started coming in.

Four of them were Mouth and his family. Lucas and Jake greeted their friends as they grabbed a table. They tried to get their kids situated as Lucas came over to them. "What can I get you guys?"

Mouth told him what they wanted while Millie kept the kids busy so they would be quiet. After Lucas wrote down their orders, Mouth then asked him a question. "I know that this is last minute, but do you know anybody who can watch Bridget and Edward for a few hours? Millie and I have an appointment with our realtor to look at some houses. And we don't want the children underfoot. Everyone we know is either working or gone for the weekend."

"It's ok if you can't help us. I'll just stay with the kids while Marvin goes," Millie replied.

"Since its Mother's Day weekend, why don't I take care of the kids this time?" Mouth suggested. Millie was doubtful. Mouth gave his wife a look. "Come on, Millie. You can't trust me with our own kids?"

"You deserve a weekend off," Lucas added, helping Mouth out. "After all, you take care of them all of the time."

Millie knew that was true. "I'll think about it," she replied as Lucas left them.

Lucas then went back to the counter and turned to Jake. "Why is it that women never believe that their husbands can take care of their children?"

"It's probably the same reason that we believe that our wives can't handle men's work," Jake replied. "They aren't cut out for that kind of work."

"That may be, but I know Mouth can handle watching his children," Lucas said. "If we can do it, he certainly can."

Later that afternoon, Lucas picked up the kids while Nathan took his shift at the café. Once they arrived home, the three were ready to play outside. So Lucas played baseball with them before he let them play alone. He then realized that it was getting late and they should be eating dinner. So he helped them clean up their toys before they headed inside.

"How about I make you guys' hot dogs and chips for dinner?" Lucas asked the three. The children instantly disagreed. He tried to think of another suggestion. "What about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?"

Jamie gave his uncle a look. "We had that for lunch," he told him. He then thought for a moment. "I want a grilled cheese sandwich." His cousin and friend nodded their heads. Lucas was satisfied and started making the sandwiches. As he stood over the stove, Jenny and Maddie went to play tea party. However, Jamie stayed with Lucas.

Lucas could tell that his nephew was lost in thought. "What's on your mind, Jamie?" he asked him.

"How come you haven't asked Aunt Brooke out?" Jamie asked.

Lucas gave him a smile. "Did your mom put you up to this?" he asked him. Jamie did his best not to look guilty, but it didn't work. He finally nodded his head. "Well, I didn't ask Aunt Brooke because I'm not sure if I'm ready to take that next step with her. And I'm not sure if she's ready." Lucas then realized who he was talking to. "Forget it. You'll understand when you're older."

"You should hurry up and ask her before someone else does," Jamie advised.

Lucas knew that he was right. He also knew that Jake was right. He had put off asking her out on a date long enough. Now that he realized that he was over Peyton, he had to move on. He decided to ask her when she got back from her spa weekend.

The weekend couldn't end fast enough for him. However, he kept himself occupied with taking care of Maddie and the café. Soon, it was Sunday morning. The women were due to return that afternoon. Lucas kept himself busy by making sure that the house was spic and span. Maddie even helped out by dusting, watering plants and drying the dishes.

Just as they were about to eat lunch, they heard a honk outside. Maddie got up from her seat and rushed to the door. Lucas was right behind her. Nathan and Jamie had done the same thing at their house. They eagerly greeted the women as they climbed out of the van. "Hey, how was your weekend?" Lucas asked.

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "It was so much fun. And it was so relaxing." She then turned to Karen, Deb and Haley. "Thank you for inviting me. I really enjoyed it."

"So did I," Victoria added.

Karen returned the smile. "You're welcome. And we loved having you two along. You're welcome to join us next year as well." She then let out a sigh as she turned to Deb. "Well, we should get going. I'm anxious to see my husband again."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch?" Lucas asked as he and Nathan pulled out the appropriate suitcases from the van. He then closed the trunk.

Karen gave her son an apologetic look. "I'm really exhausted from the trip." She quickly gave her children and grandchildren a kiss before she slid back in the front passenger's seat. Deb quickly said good-bye to her family before she went back in the driver's seat. They waved good-bye as Deb drove off.

"You know, I don't think you will have to worry about your parents getting a divorce. They have really gotten close again since the custody trial," Haley told Lucas. "You and Peyton should fight for custody of Maddie more often." Lucas gave her a look. She just gave him a smile in return. "Is that offer for lunch open to everybody?"

Once lunch was over, Victoria and Lily decided that it was time to return to Raleigh. Nathan, Haley and Jamie left soon after that. Brooke then helped Lucas clean up while Maddie went upstairs to her bedroom.

"How was your weekend?" Brooke asked Lucas. With all of their guests around, she never had a chance to ask him that question.

Lucas gave her a smile. "Well, it was a little less quiet without you around. But Maddie and I managed without you."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Yeah, it was weird having my mom around without her barking orders to me, but I loved every minute of it. I always wanted to see that kind and loving mother in her, but I never got a chance to until now. I just hope that she won't go back to her old ways."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "I don't think she will. She seems really determined to have that mother-daughter relationship that you two missed out on during your childhood." Brooke knew that he was right. Lucas then decided to ask her the question now before Maddie or something else interrupted them. "Brooke, I know we're friends, but I would like to try and take our relationship a step further." Brooke was about to protest when Lucas didn't let her. "I know that you don't want to lose the great relationship that we have as friends. Neither do I. But can you really say that you don't feel an attraction towards me?"

Brooke was quiet for a moment. "Ok, I do," she admitted. "But I'm still married to Julian. And you have Maddie to think about. If we start dating, she will think that marriage is right around the corner. And I don't want to break that little girl's heart if our relationship doesn't work out. I love her too much to do that to her."

"Julian is engaged to Peyton," Lucas reminded her. "So I think you're allowed to date another person. As for Maddie, she knows that fairytales are in books. Real life relationships take longer than three days or five minutes. Besides, she has been playing matchmaker, remember? In fact, I think everyone has been waiting for us to get together." Brooke knew that he had a point. However, he could tell that she still wasn't convinced. "All I'm asking for is one date. If neither of us enjoys it, then we can stop and go back to being friends, deal?"

Brooke was again quiet before she finally nodded in agreement. "So where are you taking me on this date?"


	31. Date Night

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty One<strong>

** Date Night**

The next morning, Lucas was working in the café when Haley came in. They exchanged greetings as she walked up to the counter and grabbed a stool. He gave her a warm smile as he asked, "Can I get you anything?"

Haley gave him a look. "You do realize that you're talking to a pregnant woman, right?" she reminded him. "Of course I'm starving. In fact, I'm craving for chocolate. Do you have any?" Lucas didn't have a chance to answer as Haley continued. "It's ok. I'll just have a couple of muffins instead." She then changed the subject. "Do you think that you can watch Jamie Friday night? Nathan and I have to chaperone prom at the high school."

Lucas didn't answer for a moment. "Actually, I can't. You're going to have to find someone else. Why don't you try the grandparents? I'm sure that they would love to take Jamie for the night."

Before Karen could answer, Haley spoke up again. "What's wrong with you doing it?" she asked him. "Come on, Luke. I would send Jamie over to Chuck's house, but I prefer his cousin over his friend."

Lucas laughed. "No offense, Hales, but I prefer my date to babysitting."

Karen and Haley turned to him, unable to believe their ears. "You finally asked Brooke on a date?" Haley squealed happily. "It's about time. I'm sure Maddie is thrilled to hear that her two favorite people are a couple."

"Actually, we haven't told her yet," Lucas replied. "We're planning to wait for the right moment. And we're not a couple yet. We're just going out on a date." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "And I'm a nervous wreck."

"At least she already knows about Maddie," Haley pointed out. "So you don't have to worry about that department. Or past relationships. In fact, you probably don't have to worry about any awkward subjects."

"Haley's right," Karen added. "You two have been friends for awhile. So it should be easy for you two to have fun."

"So where are you taking Brooke for your first date?" Haley asked. Lucas was about to respond when Haley went on. "Please don't tell me that you're just going to take her out to a fancy dinner."

Lucas frowned. "What's wrong with that? You never cared about what I was doing on my dates before."

Haley gave him a look. "You weren't dating Brooke before. You should do something exciting with her. If you want to take her to a fancy restaurant, you might as well take her to the café. This place has better food and you know it."

"So where do you suggest I take her to then?" Lucas asked.

"Well, Brooke has seen you as the parent and your boss. So show her that you can have a little fun once in awhile," Haley replied.

Lucas thought for a moment before he nodded in agreement. He knew exactly where he was going to take Brooke. "You're right. Thanks, Hales. You're the best." He then gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Now is there anything else I can get for my favorite sister-in-law?" he offered.

"You can tell me where your date is. I'm sure she is freaking out as much as you are, maybe even more so," Haley replied.

Lucas laughed. "She is back at home. I'm sure she is in down in the basement again. She has been down there a lot lately. I think she is working on something for someone, but I'm not sure what. And she won't tell me about it."

"Well, you didn't want to tell her about the nursery until you were ready," Haley pointed out. "So she will probably show you when she's ready. But I'll see if I can get her to tell me. After all, I'm still her best friend. She can trust me to keep a secret." Lucas didn't have a chance to respond as Haley hopped off the stool and hurried out of the café.

"So is it true?" Karen asked her son. "Did you ask Brooke out on a date?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, but I had to convince her first. She was afraid that our friendship would be ruined if we started this relationship. I don't blame her though. We both had past relationships where we moved too fast."

Karen frowned. "I don't think either of you really moved fast in your past relationships. Brooke knew Julian for two years before they got married. And you and Peyton didn't marry right after you two met either."

"That's because it took you guys awhile to get used to Peyton," Lucas replied. He then sighed. "But I guess it doesn't matter now since we're not even together anymore. She's happily engaged to Julian. And I have Maddie." He was quiet for a moment before turning to his mother. "Do you believe that Brooke and I can make our relationship work without ruining our friendship?"

Karen gave him a gentle smile. "Honey, no relationship is easy. Even friendships are hard sometimes. But if you believe that you two can do it, then that's all that matters. Just trust your heart. It will tell you the right thing to do."

"So does your heart tell you not to divorce Keith?" Lucas asked. Karen didn't even have a chance to respond before Lucas spoke up again. "Don't even try to deny it, Mom. We've all noticed that you and Keith have been getting a little too cozy lately."

Karen tried not to laugh. "Would you rather have us arguing?" she asked him. "Because I thought you would be happy to see that we're still together. Besides, it's not like you and Peyton did the same when you two were together. Are you going to give your sister a lecture too?"

Lucas frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"Because your sister has a new boyfriend," Karen replied. Lucas looked at her surprised. He didn't remember her sister ever telling him that. She saw the confused look on his face. "You didn't know, did you?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head. "Why wouldn't she tell me about him?"

"I guess that she was afraid that you and Nathan were going to scare him off," Karen replied.

Lucas sighed. "Is this what I'm going to have to go through with Maddie when she becomes a teenager?"

Karen laughed. "I'm afraid so," she said. "But from what I have heard from Lily, Chase seems like a nice young man. He is the same age as her. They met last semester when they found out that they were taking some classes together. So they have been friends for awhile now."

"Is she serious about this guy?" Lucas asked. "Because I would love to meet him before it gets to that point. I'm surprised Keith isn't on her case about him."

Karen just gave him a smile. "That's what he has you and Nathan for."

Meanwhile, Haley had reached Lucas's house. She wasn't surprised when she found that the front door was unlocked. She walked into the foyer, calling out for Brooke. She heard a faint response. She had a feeling that it had come from the basement since Lucas had told her that Brooke was working down there.

However, she didn't have a chance to go down to the basement as Brooke came to greet her. Haley gave her a wide smile. "Hey, I heard that my two best friends are finally going out on a date." Brooke didn't have a chance to answer as Haley continued what she wanted to say. "And I also heard that you've been working hard on a secret project in the basement."

Brooke turned red. "Yeah, it's not quite ready to be shown yet."

"Well, what is it?" Haley asked curiously. "Are you willing to give me a peek?" she asked hopefully. She was dying to know what Brooke had been working on.

Brooke thought for a moment before she finally agreed. "I'll bring the stuff up to you so you don't have to climb down the stairs. I don't want you to trip and fall. After all, you have to be careful."

Haley gave her a reassuring smile. "I appreciate that you are looking after me and my baby, but I think I can go down some stairs."

Brooke shook her head. "No, you stay up here. I'll be right back," she told her. Haley didn't have a chance to respond as Brooke disappeared behind the basement door. She then sat down on a chair and waited patiently until Brooke finally came back upstairs.

Haley gasped in surprise as Brooke brought out children's clothes. One was a racing suit. The other was a white dress with a blue bow wrapped around the waist. There was also blue trim around the bottom of the dress. Haley looked at the clothes in amazement. "Did you make these?" she asked.

Brooke nodded. "The racing suit is for Jamie. And the dress is for Maddie. I thought that she could wear that to Jenny's birthday party. What do you think?"

Haley gave her a wide smile. "I think that they are terrific. And I know that Jamie and Maddie are going to love them." Brooke let out a sigh of relief. "When did you start designing clothes?"

"It started out a hobby of mine when I was in high school," Brooke replied. "Since my parents weren't exactly supportive of my dreams, I decided not to pursue it. Once I moved here, my inspiration came back, especially after I met Maddie."

"So are you going to do it this time?" Haley asked. She didn't let Brooke protest. "Because you have a lot of support here."

Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Hales." She quickly changed the subject. "So don't tell me that you came over here just to ask me about my secret project, did you? Because I really need your help in choosing the perfect outfit for my date. I know we're just going to a restaurant, but I want to make sure that I look nice."

"I don't think that's necessary," Haley told her. Brooke looked at her, curious to know what she meant. "I convinced Lucas that he should take you somewhere else than a restaurant."

"Really? Where is he taking me then?" Brooke asked.

Haley gave her a smile. "I don't know, but I can guarantee you that it will be fun," she assured her.

"I should put these back in the basement before anyone else sees," Brooke said as she grabbed the dress and racing suit. "I want to make sure that they are perfect before I give them to Jamie and Maddie."

"They look perfect to me," Haley told her. "You should really consider of turning this into a business."

"I'll think about it," Brooke promised her. "Just don't tell anyone until I decide what I want to do, ok?" she pleaded. Haley nodded in agreement. Brooke gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks Hales."

A few days later, Brooke was looking through her closet to try and find the perfect outfit to wear. She groaned in frustration. Her guests couldn't help but giggle. Haley and Millie had come over early to help Brooke choose an outfit. However, they were starting to get amused by Brooke's obsession to find the ideal outfit.

Brooke gave them a look. Haley knew her friend needed help. "Brooke, you need to calm down. I know it's your first date and all, but you don't have to dress nice," she gently reminded her. "After all, you're not going out to dinner."

"If he would give me a hint on where we are going, it would be easy to pick something out," Brooke told her. They then heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. The door was pushed open and Maddie walked in. They exchanged greetings with her as she hopped on the bed. "Do you want to help me pick out an outfit to wear? Because your aunts here are no help."

"You should wear something new," Maddie replied. Lucas's fears had instantly gone away when he found out that she loved that her dad and Brooke were finally dating. Lucas wanted to explain that they weren't dating yet. However, he didn't want to crush her dreams. So he and Brooke decided to stay quiet.

Brooke sighed. "She's right. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. But it's too late now. I don't have time to find a dress and get ready for tonight." Haley and Maddie exchanged smiles. She then gave her a nod and Maddie jumped off the bed. "Maddie, where are you going?" Brooke asked as she dashed out of the room. Maddie soon returned with a big box. "What's this?" she asked.

"It's your belated Mother's Day gift," Haley replied. "Maddie wanted to get you something, but she had a hard time finding that perfect gift. So I helped her out."

"I hope you like it," Maddie added.

Brooke gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure I will love it," she told her as she opened the box. She was surprised to see a bright pink one sleeved dress. It had a black stripe that went diagonally down from the left shoulder to under the right arm. The sleeve was on the left of the dress was long and floaty. Brooke looked at it in amazement. "It's perfect. I'm going to try it on right now."

Brooke was thrilled to find that it fit her perfectly. She thanked Maddie and Haley a million times before she started to prepare herself for her date. She didn't want to admit it, but she was a nervous wreck. She hadn't dated anyone since Julian and that had been years ago. She hoped that this date would go well. She really didn't want to ruin the wonderful friendship that they had.

A couple of hours later, she was finally ready. As she stepped down the stairs, Lucas couldn't help but gaze at her beauty. She didn't even have a chance to ask his opinion before he spoke. "You look amazing," he told her.

Brooke turned red. "You don't think that this is too much for our first date?" she asked. "Because I know that we're not going to the restaurant. So I want to make sure that I'm dressed appropriately."

Lucas shook his head. "It's perfect," he assured her. He then turned to Maddie, who was standing in the doorway. She complimented Brooke on her dress as she embraced her in a tight hug. She then did the same to her father as Deb poked her head out to see. She too complimented Brooke before Lucas spoke up again. "Thanks for agreeing to watch Maddie, Deb. I couldn't seem to find anyone else."

Deb gave him a smile. "It's my pleasure, Lucas. Don't worry about a thing. Maddie and I will be fine. You two go and have a wonderful time."

They quickly said good-bye before they headed to the car. Brooke begged Lucas to give her a hint, but he was firm. The unknown location was making her even more nervous than before. However, Lucas's reassuring smile made her relax and let herself enjoy the ride.

Brooke soon noticed that they were leaving Tree Hill. "Are we still going to Wilmington?" she asked him. Lucas nodded. Brooke was surprised to hear that, but she didn't let it bother her. She trusted Lucas to bring her to the right place for their date.

As they came into Wilmington, Brooke noticed that they were heading downtown. She couldn't wait to get out and go exploring. She always loved going downtown of any place because of all of the shops and restaurants.

After Lucas found a parking spot, they climbed out of the car. Lucas then turned to Brooke with a wide smile on his face. "What do you want to do first?" he asked her as they started walking down the street. "We have all the time in the world."

Brooke thought for a moment. "Well, I _am_ hungry." Lucas then led her into an Italian restaurant where they had drinks, dinner and dessert. Brooke was surprised that Lucas was willing to have a few drinks, but he told her that tonight was an exception.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, they heard loud music coming from across the street. Brooke was too curious not to go and check it out. Lucas was willing to come with her. They followed to the music to a dance club. After a short discussion, they decided to go into the club.

Lucas then encouraged Brooke to dance with him. At first, she was hesitant since she didn't believe that she was a good dancer. However, she had promised herself that she would have fun tonight. So she decided to join him. As they danced, both of their confidence grew and they started to do different dance moves. He even twirled Brooke a few times. He could see that she was having as much fun as he was.

After a few fast songs, the band then started to play a slow song. Both Lucas and Brooke were relieved since they felt that they needed a break. Their hands touched as Lucas pulled Brooke close to him. "I've had the best time," Brooke whispered to Lucas as they slowly rocked to the music. "I almost don't want the night to end."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

There was then an awkward silence. They both had the same look in their eyes; one showed that they wanted to kiss. They smiled at each other, before they both leaned in for a kiss, almost hesitantly. Their lips soon touched delicately. It was almost as if they were afraid. They both gradually increased the pressure of their lips and the force of the kiss. The kiss soon turned into a deep passionate one.

Brooke couldn't resist bringing her arms up around his shoulders. She felt like she needed to hold onto him for support as their passion in their kiss grew. Lucas's hands instinctively gripped her tiny waist gently. Even when he was getting lost in their kiss, he made sure he didn't hurt her. Neither of them let go for a few moments. They had to eventually as their lungs began to scream at them for air. They reluctantly separated and stood smiling at each other as they regained their breath.

There were a few moments of silence before Lucas spoke. "I guess this means that we're going on our second date," he replied. Brooke had to agree. Their first date was a success. This was the start of a beautiful relationship, one that they knew would last.


	32. I've Got Dreams to Remember

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Two<strong>

** I've Got Dreams to Remember**

Brooke was putting on her make-up when she head Lucas calling her name. She tried not to laugh when she heard him say that she needed to hurry up. He wanted to get going to make sure that they had good seats. "I'll be right down," she promised. She had never seen Lucas so impatient before. Of course, she understood why this was important to him. It was important to her too. She quickly finished putting on her make-up before she left the bathroom.

Once Brooke arrived downstairs, she grabbed her purse from the kitchen and they headed out the door. As they got to the car, they saw Haley coming out of her house. She greeted them as she came over to them. "Well, it looks like it's just the three of us today. Jamie was going to come, but Chuck invited him over to his house at the last minute. And Nathan is helping Lindsey with some school stuff. I don't understand why they are doing it on a Saturday, but that's just me."

Lucas sighed. "Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to be the only dad there out of the group?"

"You won't," Brooke told him. "After all, Jake and Keith will be there. Besides, you're already surrounded by beautiful girls at home. So you should be used to it by now." She then turned back to Haley. "I know Maddie isn't related to your parents, but are they coming to the recital?"

Haley shook her head. "No, but Quinn is. She is coming alone though. Logan doesn't want to go. So Clay is going to stay home with him. They usually drop him off at my parents' house, but Logan didn't want Clay to leave."

"Speaking of leaving, we should go now," Lucas said as he unlocked the car. Brooke and Haley just laughed as they climbed in. Brooke sat next to Lucas while Haley stretched out in the backseat. "Are you comfortable back there, Hales?" Lucas asked her as he looked in his rearview mirror.

Haley nodded. "Lily wants me to remind you to not be in overprotective brother mode today. She doesn't want you to chase her new boyfriend away."

"But that's my job," Lucas replied. "I'm supposed to protect her from any guy that comes near her. What kind of name is Chase anyway? That name is just asking for trouble. Don't you dare name my nephew or niece Chase."

"You have nothing to worry about there," Haley assured him. "Chase isn't anywhere near our top five possible names for the baby."

"What are the names then?" Brooke asked curiously.

Haley thought for a moment. "Well, we have Ashley, Amelia, Addison, Jessica and Paige."

Lucas and Brooke waited to hear more, but Haley was silent. "Hales, what happens if it's another boy?" Lucas finally asked her.

"It's not going to be a boy," Haley replied. "And if it is, then we'll figure out a name for him. But for now, the baby is your unborn niece." The conversation was left at that.

When they arrived at the dance studio, Lucas was relieved to see that there were plenty of parking spaces. He parked the car before he went to help Haley out of the car. Haley was grateful for the assistance, but she could get out by herself.

As they walked in, they were shown to the auditorium. They then spotted Quinn and Victoria across the room and walked over to them. They greeted each other as they sat down in their seats. Brooke grabbed a seat next to her mother. Lucas sat next to her while Haley joined Quinn.

Millie and Bridget came next. They were soon joined by Keith, Karen, Lily and her new boyfriend Chase. They quickly did introductions before they started their different conversations. Lucas wanted to get to know Chase, but he knew that it wasn't the right time.

Just as the ballet recital was about to start, the gang noticed that Peyton had slipped in the room. Lucas knew that she was back in town, but he didn't know how long she was planning to stay. "I'm surprised Julian didn't come with her," Brooke told the gang as they watched her stand in the back of the room.

"Why don't you ask her if she wants to sit with us?" Karen asked her son.

Lucas sighed, knowing that it was the right thing to do. He excused himself and scooted past his family into the aisle. He walked through the aisle and over to Peyton. They exchanged greetings before Lucas stated his reason for being there. "Do you want to sit with us?" he offered.

Peyton gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, but I think I'll pass." Lucas nodded understandingly. "If you don't mind, I would like to spend some time with Maddie while I'm here. And I promise that I won't kidnap her. I'm too smart for that."

Lucas tried not to smile. "Is tonight ok for you? That way, Brooke and I have the house to ourselves."

Peyton figured out what that meant instantly. "So the rumors are true, huh? And I thought you were going to wait until after the divorce was final to do it."

Lucas ignored her rude comment. "See you later," he replied before he headed back to his seat. As he came back, he tried not to notice the curious looks around him. "Don't ask," he warned the gang as he sat back down. He didn't want to talk about it.

Soon, the dance recital started and the audience turned to the little girls on stage. Quinn then quickly pulled out her camera and started taking pictures. Karen did the same from a different angle. After the recital was over, everyone waited patiently until Maddie was able to come out.

"So what did you think of the recital?" Haley asked the newcomers.

"I thought it was lovely," Victoria replied. "Deb did a great job in choreographing it." Millie instantly agreed. "I can see Maddie certainly enjoys doing it."

"It makes me think of signing up Bridget for the fall," Millie said as she turned to her daughter. "Would you like to dance like your friends Maddie and Jenny?" she asked her. Bridget eagerly nodded. She then turned back to her friends as Haley spoke up again.

"What did you think of the costumes, Brooke?" she asked. "Do you think you could make some better ones for next year?"

Brooke instantly knew what her friend was trying to do. However, she wasn't falling for it. However, she didn't have a chance to respond as Lucas spoke up first. "Brooke, I didn't know you sewed."

"Brooke does more than that. She designs clothes," Victoria replied as she turned to her daughter. "I'm surprised you didn't pursue it further after you and Julian moved away."

"How could I when I didn't have any support?" Brooke asked. "And it's just a hobby of mine now."

Haley gave her a look. "Come on, Brooke. I saw the clothes that you made for Jamie and Maddie. They were the best children's outfits I've ever seen."

"Is that what you've been doing in the basement all this time?" Lucas asked her curiously. Brooke sighed. There was no point in denying it now. She then nodded her head. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was afraid that you guys would tell me that I wasn't any good," Brooke replied. "And I don't think I can face that type of rejection again."

"You_ are_ good," Haley assured her. "In fact, your designs are wonderful. I know I would buy the outfit for Jamie if you weren't already giving it to him. I told her that she was crazy not to start a clothing line business, but she doesn't believe me."

Brooke didn't have a chance to answer as Maddie ran to her family and friends. They greeted her as she ran to Brooke. They embraced each other in a tight hug as Maddie spoke. She gave her a wide smile. "Did you like my recital?"

Brooke returned the smile. "I loved it," she replied before the compliments kept on coming. Maddie beamed proudly as she heard each one. Brooke could tell that she loved getting all the attention.

After the recital, the gang then drove over to the café to have a little party. By then, Nathan had returned from his schoolwork and met them at the café. So he and Lucas got to work with interrogating Chase. Keith and Lily watched them closely so they didn't get too personal with their questions.

Brooke, Haley, Quinn and Millie were sitting at another table while Karen, Deb and Victoria were chatting at the counter. Brooke was relieved when Millie chose a topic away from her. "I'm starting to see why Mouth wanted to move back here," Millie told them. "It's a nice quiet little town. I just hope the children will enjoy living here as much as we do."

"Well, Bridget is closer to her friends," Brooke pointed out. "It's just too bad that she will be in preschool while her friends are in kindergarten."

"Actually, Marvin and I are going to have her stay home with me for one more year," Millie replied. "I know preschool would be better for her, but I'm not ready for her to leave me yet."

Haley nodded understandingly. "Yeah, it took me forever to let Jamie go. I want him to stay my little boy forever, but I know he won't."

Brooke gave her a wide smile. "At least you'll have a baby soon to keep you company for awhile. I can't wait to find out the gender."

"You guys may not believe me, but it's going to be a girl," Haley replied. "Once that happens, then Nathan and I will really need to work on a name." She then turned to her sister. "Speaking of babies, when is Logan going to have a brother or sister?"

"Clay and I are working on that," Quinn replied with a smile. "And that's all you need to know about it."

Brooke had a feeling that the subject was about to be changed to her. She decided to walk away before she was proven right. She quickly excused herself and quietly slipped out the door. She walked across the street and over to the empty Tree Hill café. She was surprised to see that the door was unlocked. She walked inside and looked around the room.

She closed her eyes and started picturing what the café would look like if she did have a store. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. "Can I help you?" Peyton asked her as Brooke jumped. "Or do I need to call the cops again?"

Brooke was getting tired of her rude attitude. "Look, I know that we hate each other. But do you think we could try and get along for Maddie's sake?" she asked. "Because you're going to have to get used to me being in her life; not to mention Lucas's. I'm not going anywhere."

"Are you sure about that?" Peyton asked her. Brooke was about to protest when she continued. "You're a runner, Brooke. You like to run away from your problems, just like I used to. Lucas hates runners because he has already been hurt by one. Don't break his heart by being his second."

Brooke glared angrily at her. "Why don't you just mind your own business?" she snapped before she left the café. She didn't feel like walking back into the other café. So she decided just to walk home. She wasn't surprised when she heard someone following her. She froze when she heard Lucas calling her name. She turned around as she saw him catching up to her.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked her. He then could see that she was upset. He frowned as he asked, "What did that bitch say to you now?"

"She's right," Brooke replied as she tried to hold her tears in. Lucas gave her a confused look. She then went on to explain. "Rachel's right. My mom's right. I am a runner. I always have been. And I always will be."

Lucas pulled her into his arms and embraced her in a tight hug. He tried to calm her down. He knew the best thing for her was for them to have a talk. He gestured her to follow him and he took her into his car. He didn't say anything until they were far away from the café and at the beach. "So you're a runner. That doesn't mean you are going to stay a runner the rest of your life," he told her. "You have certainly proved that you have changed already."

"How have I done that?" Brooke asked him.

"Well, you decided not to run away when I asked you on a date," Lucas pointed out. Brooke hated to admit it, but he was right. "And I don't think you will run away from this incredible opportunity of making your clothing line business a reality." Brooke was about to protest when her boyfriend gave her a look. "I know you want to. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone over to the other café to talk to Peyton."

"I didn't know she was there," Brooke replied. There was a short pause before she confessed the truth. "But I did go over there and imagined what it would be like to have a store there."

Lucas gave her a smile. "Why picture it when you can have the reality?" he asked her. Brooke was quiet. "I know you're terrified. Hey, I was the same way when Maddie was born. But I knew I could do it because I had the support I needed from my friends and family to help me if I failed. I doubt you will though."

Brooke returned the smile. "Thanks, but you haven't even seen my sketches yet."

Lucas gave her a look. "That's the kind of attitude that I don't want to hear from my girlfriend." Brooke tried not to smile as he continued. "I have known Haley for a long time and I know she wouldn't brag about something like that if it wasn't true."

Brooke pretended to be hurt. "So you believe your best friend over your girlfriend? I would be careful if I was you. You remember what happened last time?" she asked as she moved closer to him.

"Well, that one was more my fault than Haley's," Lucas replied. "And that will never happen again."

Brooke was then quiet. "Lucas, I know you've had your heart broken before. So have I. So I would never lie to you about anything you would need to know. Just remember that, ok? We really need to trust each other. Otherwise, this relationship will never work."

Lucas knew that she was referring to the time he had accused her of faking her pregnancy. He nodded understandingly. "You're right. From now on, we'll trust each other. And if we feel that something is wrong, we talk it out instead of running away." Brooke agreed before Lucas changed the subject. "So are you in the mood to show me the outfits now?" he asked anxiously. Brooke laughed before she finally agreed.


	33. You Can't Always Get What You Want

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Three<strong>

** You Can't Always Get What You Want**

Lucas was reading a book when he saw Brooke standing in the doorway. They exchanged smiles as she cuddled up next to him on the couch. "I just got off the phone with Rachel," Brooke said. Lucas looked at her interested to hear what she had to say. "She and Owen have set a wedding date." Lucas waited for her to go on and tell him when it was. However, she was quiet.

Lucas knew that there was something wrong. "So when is it?" he asked her hesitantly.

Brooke took her time to answer. "It happens to be on Father's Day weekend." Lucas groaned in disappointment, knowing that he would have to miss the camping trip if he went. He was about to respond when Brooke continued. "Rachel and Owen tried to move it to another date, but there was a spot open and they decided to take it before someone else did. I know how important the camping trip is to you, but being in Rachel's wedding is important to me. I'm her best friend, not to mention her maid of honor. I have to be there."

"Then you can go to New York and I'll go camping," Lucas replied as he got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. Brooke was right behind him. "And Maddie will stay with Haley for the weekend."

Brooke couldn't believe him. She stood in the kitchen doorway and glared at him. "That's your solution to our problem? We go our separate ways for that weekend?" she exclaimed. "You won't even think about coming to New York with me? And what about Maddie? You promised to take her to New York for her birthday, didn't you?"

Lucas sighed. "Look, I would love to go with you to New York. Hell, I would love to take Maddie there. But it just can't be that weekend. I'm sorry."

Brooke just shook her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I'm dating someone so selfish that he isn't willing to make some sacrifices for his girlfriend." She didn't let him respond as she stormed out of the house.

Lucas went after her. He was disappointed when he saw that her car had already left the driveway. He let out a heavy sigh. There was no point in chasing after her. He knew that she would come back eventually after she had cooled off. He had to cool off himself. And he knew exactly where he wanted to go.

A few minutes later, Lucas was on the café rooftop. He was glad that Maddie was spending the night at Deb's house for a sleepover with Bridget and Jenny. He didn't want to run around the neighborhood, trying to find a baby-sitter at this late hour.

Mouth and Millie still were having trouble with finding a house that they could afford. When they had told the Scott family their dilemma, Deb had offered her house to them until they were able to find the perfect place. After a little bit of discussion, they had accepted her offer.

Lucas smiled to himself as he looked out onto the small town that shone in the darkness. It had been awhile since he had been on the rooftop. He had forgotten how much he loved being up here. He and Haley used to have tons of fun; playing miniature golf, having water balloons fights and sharing secrets with each other.

He then heard footsteps and turned to see his best friend. He knew better than to give her a smile. "Are you here to yell at me too?" he asked Haley as she walked over to him. He quickly added, "Because I'm not in the mood to hear it."

Haley didn't care if he was or wasn't. He needed to hear this. "Lucas, what the hell were you thinking?" she demanded. "You can go camping with Keith, Nathan and Jamie anytime. You should go to New York with Brooke and Maddie. Besides, you always have talked about taking Maddie to New York. This is your chance. Why can't you skip the camping trip?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Because Maddie won't be able to go with us that weekend," he replied. "Peyton has her that weekend since Maddie was with me for Mother's Day. And it wouldn't be fair to her if I go without her when I promised I would take her."

"Why the hell didn't you tell Brooke that?" Haley asked him, sounding puzzled by his actions. "I'm sure Brooke would have understood your reasoning instead of you looking selfish."

Lucas gave her a look. "Rachel is her best friend. She wouldn't miss the chance to be her maid of honor."

"How do you know if you haven't even asked her?" Haley replied.

"Because she told me during our argument," Lucas told her. "She wants to go to Rachel's wedding. And I don't want to stop her from going. I just can't be there with her. I'm not going without Maddie. And if I try to switch weekends with Peyton, it will just lead to another argument with her."

Haley knew he was right. "Well, I'm sure that you two can work out a compromise." Lucas didn't answer as he watched Haley go over to the brick wall and to their secret hiding place where they had put their tin container. "Do you know how long it has been since we have looked at these?" Haley asked as she sat down on the picnic table. Lucas shook his head as he joined her.

He had almost forgotten about how they had always written down their wishes that they wanted to happen during the next school year. They had started when they were young. Despite the three age difference, they had continued the tradition until Maddie and Jamie were born. They then decided to do it whenever they needed to. Lucas had no idea how soon he would need some cheering up after they had made their agreement. He was glad that Haley and the rest of his family were there to help him raise Maddie after Peyton had left.

As they read through their predictions, Lucas quickly noticed how old some of them were. "I think it's time for some new ones. I don't think I have written a prediction since Peyton left."

Haley looked at him curious. "Which prediction was that?" she asked him. Lucas showed her the piece of paper and Haley read it aloud. "I will find the right woman who is my true soul-mate and who deserves to have Maddie call her 'Mommy'." She nodded in agreement. "You will, Lucas. You just need to take some chances with the woman you have already."

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You aren't going to tell me that I should take off and marry her, are you?"

Haley laughed. "As much as I believe you two are great together, I have learned that I should let you go at your own pace. After all, you don't want to make the same mistake twice." She then thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Of course you may have already done that."

Lucas let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I should apologize to her. But I think I'll wait until tomorrow morning. It will give her a chance to cool off then." He didn't say another word about it as he wrote a new prediction on a blank piece of paper.

The next morning, Lucas ate breakfast before he headed over to Deb's house to pick up Maddie. He knew that he should apologize to Brooke first, but he didn't quite know where she had spent the night. When he arrived at the house, he was surprised to see Brooke's vehicle in the driveway. He hadn't expected her to spend the night there when there were so many people staying there already.

He walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He didn't wait long when he heard footsteps. Maddie pulled the door open and embraced her dad in a tight hug. "Did you have fun with Bridget and Jenny?" he asked her.

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, we stayed up late and had ice cream and soda."

Lucas laughed as Mouth came into the front hall. "It sounds like Uncle Mouth and Aunt Millie really spoiled you. I'm glad you had fun. Now why don't you go back and play with your friends? We're not leaving for awhile." Maddie gave him a smile before she disappeared out of the hall. "How was she?" Lucas asked Mouth.

Mouth just gave him a look. "Next time, you and Brooke can handle the three energetic girls. I think they had too much sugar last night. It took us hours to get them to get into their sleeping bags. Then they didn't want to go to settle down and go to sleep."

Lucas frowned. "I thought Bridget had sleepovers before."

Mouth nodded. "She has, but it was never with Maddie and Jenny at the same time. And I don't think she will again until they are older."

Lucas laughed. He then changed the subject. "So did Brooke spend the night here?" he asked him.

Mouth shook his head. "No, I think she stayed with your parents. From what I've heard, she and Karen talked all night long about Brooke and her business plan." Lucas wasn't surprised that Brooke had gone to his mother for help. After all, she was a businesswoman. "They were trying to figure out who should be able to convince Peyton into selling the café to us."

"Well, I know it won't be me," Lucas replied. "Every time I try to talk to her, we get into an argument."

"Your mom thinks she can talk to her," Mouth told him. "Whoever does talk to her should do it fast. There are rumors going around that there's another person interested in buying the place."

"I wouldn't worry," Brooke replied as she walked into the hall. "Karen is probably negotiating with her right now."

"Brooke, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Lucas asked. Brooke nodded as she followed him into the living room. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he spoke. "Brooke, I'm so sorry how I reacted. I never meant to appear selfish. The truth is that I didn't want to go without Maddie. Peyton has her for Father's Day. And I didn't want her to get upset if I went without her."

Brooke stopped him right there. "I know. Keith and Karen told me about it. Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"

"Because I know how much being in Rachel's wedding means to you," Lucas replied. Brooke knew that was true. "I can miss it because I don't know her that well. But she is your best friend. You should go and be her maid of honor. I'll just go camping with the guys."

"You can go without me, Daddy," Maddie piped up as she appeared into the living room. "I don't mind."

Lucas gave her a gentle smile. "Are you sure? This means that you won't be able to be the flower girl in Rachel's wedding."

"I know," Maddie replied quietly. Maddie then gave Lucas a smile. However, Brooke could tell that it wasn't a true Maddie smile. She was wearing a face that was trying to be happy when she was really upset. "It's ok. Go with Brooke." She didn't say another word before she disappeared.

Lucas turned to Brooke and looked at her. "You didn't fall for that either, did you?" he asked her. Brooke shook her head. Lucas let out a heavy sigh. "I'll go and talk to her." Brooke was about to offer her services when she heard her cell-phone ringing. "That's probably my mom with news about the café."

Brooke checked it before she corrected him. "Actually, it's Rachel. She probably wants an answer about her wedding. I'll take this in the other room."

Lucas frowned. "But you don't have an answer yet."

Brooke nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm not going without my boyfriend or her flower girl," she replied. "I know Maddie is giving us her blessings to go without her, but I can see it in her eyes that she really wants to go."

"Then we'll find a way to have all three of us attend," Lucas replied as he walked closer to her. "Maybe I can talk Peyton in bringing Maddie to New York for the wedding or something."

Brooke was doubtful that Peyton would allow that to happen. However, she could see that Lucas really wanted to do this for her and Maddie. She then remembered that Rachel was still trying to get through to her. She finally picked up the phone and put it to her ear. "Rachel, we're still working out the details, but all three of us are going to try and make it to your wedding," she told her.

They talked a little while longer before Brooke heard a beep in her ear. She quickly said good-bye to Rachel before she went to her other call. Lucas waited anxiously to hear what she had to say. He also knew that she should have some privacy. So he went to the kitchen to talk to Deb, Mouth and Millie.

A few minutes later, Brooke came into the room. Everyone turned to her and waited to hear the news. Even the children had wandered into the kitchen and wondered what was going on. "What did my mom say?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke paused for dramatic effect before she gave her friends a wide smile. "Karen convinced Peyton to let me buy it," she squealed. Everyone jumped for joy and congratulated Brooke. They embraced her with hugs as she spoke again. "Peyton wants me at the café as soon as possible to sign the papers."

"I'll drive you over there," Lucas offered. "I need to talk to her anyway." He then turned to Maddie. "You stay here with Grandma Deb and play with your friends." Maddie just nodded her head. He gave her a kiss before he headed towards the front door. Brooke was right behind him.

As Lucas drove the car, he could see that Brooke was nervous. However, he just took her hand and squeezed it. Brooke turned to him and he gave her a comforting smile. "I know it's a little early to be asking this, but have you thought about what you will call your clothing store?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke nodded. "Actually, I have. It will be called Brooke's Children's Boutique; a clothing store for children of all ages."

Lucas thought for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "I like it. I'm sure the clothing store will be a success. People from all over will want to buy your clothes for their children. Soon, you'll be famous and rich enough to open another store at a different location."

Brooke sighed. "Why don't we just get through the signing and remodeling the café first?" she suggested. Lucas nodded in agreement, realizing he was thinking too far ahead. "You're glad that the café will be gone, won't you?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer. "Maybe I'll just keep it the way it is," she said, trying to sound as serious as she could. Lucas gave her a startled look. Brooke just gave him a smile, telling him that she was just teasing him. Once Lucas realized that, he couldn't help but smile back.


	34. Great Expectations

**A/N: **Thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Four<strong>

** Great Expectations**

To Lucas's surprise and relief, Peyton gave him permission to take Maddie for Father's Day weekend. Maddie was thrilled to death when she heard the news. She really wanted to be Rachel's flower girl. Lucas was glad that she was in a happier mood. He never liked seeing her upset. Yet, he knew that he couldn't please her all the time.

Ever since Jamie had gotten Chester, Maddie started begging Lucas for a pet: specifically a kitten. Lucas refused to get her one. He didn't believe that she was ready for that type of responsibility. The subject was brought up every once in awhile, but it wasn't discussed again until after Jenny's birthday.

That particular day, Jenny had a sleepover with Maddie and Bridget at her house. Since Lucas and Brooke had the house to themselves, they decided to go out on a double date with Nathan and Haley. Nathan and Haley accepted their invitation since Jamie was staying at Andre's house.

"Did I tell you that Rachel and Owen changed their minds about their wedding location?" Brooke asked Haley as they were sitting down at their table. Haley shook her head. "Instead of doing it at a church, they have decided to get married in Central Park at the Conservatory Garden."

Nathan was surprised. "Wow, I didn't think that people could get married there."

Brooke nodded. "You can, but there are restrictions. Luckily, Rachel and Owen don't care about the money or restrictions. They just want to get married. Then they are off to the Hamptons for their honeymoon. Rachel has a beach house there."

"She can go to her beach house any time," Haley replied. "She should go somewhere new and fun like London." She and Nathan exchanged smiles as she continued. "That's where Nathan and I went for our honeymoon. We loved it there." She then let out a heavy sigh. "It's too bad we never had another chance to go."

"You'll have plenty of time to travel after the kids are in college," Lucas said. "You'll probably get tired of them by then." He then thought for a moment before he spoke again. "Then again, my mom still has empty nest syndrome."

Haley frowned. "I thought she had got over that now that she and Keith are back together. And Lily seems to be doing well without your parents. She managed to survive her first year of college just fine. She even has a steady boyfriend now."

Lucas rolled his eyes. He didn't even want to discuss his sister and her boyfriend. "As long as Chase doesn't break my sister's heart, I can tolerate him."

Haley decided to change the subject. "Don't tell Maddie this, but Mia is planning to return to Tree Hill as a surprise for her birthday."

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "Maddie will love that. We'll be sure to keep the surprise a secret," he promised. Brooke nodded in agreement. "Are there any other secrets that you would like to share?" he asked.

Nathan and Haley exchanged looks before turning back to the other couple. The smile returned on Haley's face as she spoke to Brooke. "Well, Nathan and I have been talking about possible godparents for our baby." Lucas knew what she was going to say next before she said it. Haley had talked to him about it a few days earlier. He thought it was a great idea and knew Brooke would accept the job. "And we've decided that we want you to be our baby's godmother," she announced.

Brooke gasped in surprise. She couldn't believe that Nathan and Haley made her their baby's godmother. She couldn't speak at first. She was then finally able to find her voice. "Are you serious? Haley, I would be so honored," she replied as she embraced Haley in a gentle hug. She then did the same with Nathan. "I will be the best godmother that kid will ever have."

"I know you will," Lucas assured her. "You're already doing well with Maddie and Jamie."

Brooke smiled proudly. "Yeah, I love being Aunt Brooke. All I have to do is spoil the children with love and attention, not to mention toys."

"Don't let them get away with everything," Nathan warned her. "Or they will become spoiled brats."

Haley gave him a look. "Brooke isn't the one we should worry about."

Brooke looked at the time before she turned to Lucas. "We should get going," she told him before she turned to their friends. "I have an early day tomorrow. I'm supposed to meet up with Karen at the store to discuss more business."

"When are you going to have your grand opening?" Haley asked anxiously.

"I'm hoping that it will be at the end of the summer," Brooke replied. "There's still so much to do including hiring employees. I have a feeling that job might be harder than the rest of the steps."

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. You have a lot of help to make sure you hire the best employees." Brooke smiled in return.

The next morning, Lucas and Brooke had breakfast together before Lucas dropped her off at the store. He then went to run some errands. By the time he was done, Maddie was ready to come home. So Lucas headed back to the house.

When he arrived, Maddie and Jenny were playing outside. An ecstatic Maddie ran over to him. They embraced each other in a hug before Maddie started talking. She told Lucas everything that had happened at the sleepover. She then saved the best for last. "Guess what? Jenny got a kitty for her birthday," she told him excitedly as Jake and Jenny appeared.

Lucas then noticed that Jenny was holding a kitten in her arms. He didn't know much about cats, but he could see that it was a calico kitten. He also saw that it was an American shorthair. Lucas stroked the kitten as he turned to Jenny. "Have you figured out a name for this little one?"

Jenny gave him a wide smile. "Her name is Skittles."

Lucas laughed. "Because she has all sorts of different colors on her?" he asked her. Jenny nodded. "Well, that name certainly suits her." He then exchanged good-byes with her and Jake before he followed Maddie back to their own house.

Lucas then unlocked the door and Maddie walked into the foyer. He was right behind her. As he came into the kitchen, he heard his cell-phone ringing. He checked it and was happy to find out that it was Brooke. He put the phone to his ear and waited to hear her voice. They exchanged greetings before he spoke. "Hey, are you almost done?"

"_Yeah, but your mom and I are planning to go out to lunch. So it will be awhile before I come back."_

Lucas was disappointed, but he knew she would have a nice time with his mother. "Alright, you two have fun. Maddie and I will eat lunch without you. We'll see you in a few hours." They then exchanged good-byes before Lucas hung up the phone. He then noticed that Maddie was standing in the doorway. "So what do you want for lunch?" he asked her. "How about I make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? You can have some grapes and chocolate pudding with it."

Maddie didn't answer as she walked into the room. "How come we don't have pets?" she asked him as she climbed onto a chair.

Lucas sighed. "Because it is a lot of work to take care of a pet. And I don't believe you're ready for one."

Maddie was disappointed, but she wasn't going to give up yet. "What if I prove it?" she asked. "Then can I have a kitten?"

Lucas was quiet for a moment before he finally answered. "Ok, we'll test it out," he replied. He knew that Maddie was willing to do a compromise. "Then I'll see if you're ready to take care of your own pet or not." Maddie embraced her father in a tight hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Lucas laughed. "I love you too."

A couple of busy weeks passed. Brooke worked long and hard to make Maddie her flower girl dress. She wanted to make sure it was ready by the time they had to leave. Luckily, the dress was finished in time. She then helped Lucas in preparing for the road trip. They thought it would be fun to drive since the airplane ride would be too short to really enjoy.

Lucas didn't know who was more excited: Brooke or Maddie. Of course, Lucas knew their excitement could also be contributed to Haley's baby news. Her instincts were right. She was expecting a little girl. Yet, they still hadn't settled on a baby name. Once the doctor confirmed that the baby was going to be a girl, Brooke insisted on her throwing Haley a baby shower.

"Brooke, you do know it's my second child, right?" Haley reminded Brooke as they supervised the children with their art projects. Jamie, Maddie, Jenny and Bridget were all working hard on their homemade presents for their dads. "A baby shower is usually for the first baby."

"I know, but I wasn't around when Jamie was born," Brooke reminded her. "And by that time, my store will be up and running. So I'll have a little bit more time on my hands to focus on your baby shower."

Haley sighed. She knew that Brooke wasn't going to back down. "I'll think about it, alright?" she promised. Brooke gave her a smile. "Now how excited are you to be going back to New York?"

"I love the thought of going back there and seeing the sights again," Brooke replied. "I've visited New York since I left, but it has been awhile."

"I want to see the green lady," Maddie said, speaking up. Brooke and Haley laughed. "And Central Park."

"The green lady is called the Statue of Liberty," Brooke gently corrected her. "And we will get to see the sights. I promise." Maddie gave her a wide smile as she turned back to her project. She then turned back to Haley. "I just hope that nothing goes wrong this weekend."

Haley gave her a look. "What could possibly go wrong? Are you afraid that an ex-girlfriend will show up unannounced or something?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that something will stop us from getting to that wedding." Haley was curious to hear her excuses. Brooke started shooting off the examples. "Like Peyton changing her mind about being able to let Lucas have her for that weekend or Maddie getting so sick that she has to stay home or the car breaks down on the way to New York."

Haley stopped her right there. "If you're so worried, then why don't you have a back up plan just in case something like that happens? You can always call us if you're having car trouble. I'm sure one of us would be happy to drive you guys to New York. And I doubt Peyton will change her mind. She seemed pretty reasonable about that weekend when Lucas talked to her about it." She then thought for a moment. "Of course, that usually means she is up to something."

"I wouldn't put it past her if she is," Brooke replied. "She probably wants Maddie's birthday weekend."

"I'm going to kill her if she wants that weekend," Haley hissed. She wanted to make sure that the kids didn't hear her. "I don't care if she is going to file for custody again or not. We have too many things planned for Maddie to have her ruin it." Brooke just nodded in agreement. "Maybe she won't pick that weekend. I don't know what goes through her mind lately." Brooke knew how she felt. "But whatever weekend it is, we'll deal with it." Haley gave her a comforting smile. "If there are any problems during your trip, you guys will be able to handle it. You just need to remember to go with the flow. Your New York trip will be fun."

Brooke tried not to smile as she spoke. "You're just dying to have the house to yourself this weekend, aren't you?" Haley just smiled in return. Brooke laughed. "I hope you have a fun weekend then."

"I will," Haley replied. "And I know you, Lucas and Maddie will too."


	35. Hate Is Safer Than Love

**A/N**: Thank you all for the reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Five<strong>

** Hate Is Safer Than Love**

Over the next few days, everyone prepared for Father's Day weekend. Keith, Nathan and Jamie were still planning on doing the annual camping trip without Lucas. Karen and Haley were going to enjoy their weekends without their husbands. And Lily was going to spend some time with her friends.

Karen went over the plan with her son. "So you're driving up all day Friday, you're going to go to Rachel's wedding tomorrow and go sightseeing after that and then drive back on Sunday?" she asked him. "I'm not sure if you will get the full experience of New York that way. I know Maddie will get a chance to see Central Park, but what about the Statue of Liberty, the Broadway Theater or FAO Schwarz? I'm sure she would love that toy store." Lucas didn't have a chance to respond. "And what about you two? You two should have a chance to spend some time together alone without Maddie. Of course, that would mean you would have to take a baby-sitter along."

"That's why we're thinking of staying more than just a few days," Lucas replied. "And we've already asked Millie to bring Jenny and Bridget along. That way, we can get some alone time together."

Karen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "So Millie is going to have to handle three kids by herself while you and Brooke are off on your dates?"

"Well, it was going to be just Jenny and Maddie, but they didn't want to leave their other best friend behind," Lucas explained. "We're going to stay in Victoria's penthouse anyway. There's plenty of room for all of us there. Brooke will take the master bedroom while Maddie gets one of the guestrooms. And I'll take the couch."

Once Victoria had heard confirmation that Lucas, Brooke and Maddie were going to New York, she offered them her penthouse that overlooked Central Park. At first, Brooke had been confused since the penthouse of the apartment she had grown up in wasn't even near Central Park. Victoria then explained that she had sold that one to buy the one that was closer to the park. Lucas and Brooke then had accepted the offer since they didn't want to bother Rachel and Owen.

"I'm sure your weekend will be better than mine," Nathan said as he joined them. "Jamie invited Chuck along to our camping trip. And now, Chase is going too."

Lucas frowned. "You mean our baby sister's boyfriend, Chase?" he asked him. Nathan nodded. Lucas then turned to his mother. "Why is Chase going on the camping trip?"

"Because Lily asked your father if he can come," Karen told him. "Why are you so concerned about him going on the camping trip? It's not like your sister is going with them."

"I would rather go with you guys to New York than camping with the guys," Lily added as she hopped up next to Lucas. "But I wasn't invited so I'm stuck going to visit the grandparents with Mom."

Karen wasn't pleased with her attitude. "You know how much they love seeing you."

Lily gave her a look. "Mom, everyone hates them ever since we found out that they were helping Peyton try and get custody of Maddie." Her mother was about to protest when Lily didn't let her interrupt her. "I know Grandma Mae claimed that she was planning to tell the judge the truth, but I still believe that it was all an act to discredit Lucas as a bad father."

"It doesn't really matter what her plans were," Lucas replied. "I still have full custody of Maddie. So you should just forgive our grandparents and have fun with your favorite niece and nephew."

"So you forgave Dan too?" Lily asked.

Lucas gave her a look. "He is a completely different story. And I would appreciate it if you didn't bring him up again." None of them had heard from or seen Dan since the last day in court. He didn't even try and get in contact with his grandchildren. Lucas was relieved since he was too angry with him to attempt to talk to him.

Lily quickly apologized for bringing up a touchy subject. Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "No, I'm sorry for being short with you. I just don't like talking about Dan. That's all." He quickly changed the subject. "So did you say that you were going to go visit the grandparents?" Karen nodded. "Do you know if Grandma Mae still has that old cat of hers, Hudson?"

Karen gave him a confused look. "Hudson died quite a few years back. Grandma Mae hasn't had another cat since. Why do you ask?"

"Thanks to Jake, the subject of Maddie wanting a pet was brought up again," Lucas replied. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she won't budge. So I have to allow her to prove to me that she is responsible enough to take care of an animal."

"You don't sound too happy about that," Lily noted. "Are you still thinking that she isn't ready to take care of a pet? She's practically the same age as Jamie and he has Chester."

"Jamie and Maddie are two different people," Lucas reminded her. "And they have different parents."

"Well, I don't think Maddie would have been able to handle Hudson anyway," Karen said. "He was a stubborn old cat. Besides, I think Maddie should have a smaller pet to take care of like a fish or a hamster."

"It's too bad that school is over," Lily said. "She could have taken home the class pet."

"They don't usually have one until first grade," Lucas replied. "That just proves that Maddie shouldn't have a pet until she is older."

"Just give her a chance," Karen told him. "I'm sure she will be able to prove to you that she is ready to take care of a pet." Lucas knew she was right. He didn't say anything more about it as he went to attend to the customers who had just walked in.

Lucas didn't have time to really think about Maddie and her request to get a pet. He had to get ready for the New York trip. He tried to help Brooke out as much as she would let him. She wanted to do everything herself. So Lucas backed off and focused on helping his mother with the café.

On that Friday morning, Lucas, Brooke and Maddie got up super early. They ate breakfast at the café with Keith, Karen and Lily before they headed out onto the road. They had a long drive ahead of them and wanted to get going as soon as possible.

As the hours passed, Brooke started to get more and more nervous. She knew that there was a chance that she would see her old classmates, but that wasn't who she was worried about. She didn't want to run into her father. She didn't want a lecture of how she ruined his reputation as a Davis. Lucas's comforting smile always calmed her nerves though. After several hours, they finally arrived in New York City.

Brooke directed Lucas to her mother's apartment building. As they walked into the penthouse, they looked around at the place impressed. They complimented the penthouse while Maddie went to see the view of Central Park. "When can I see Lady Liberty?" she asked them anxiously.

Lucas laughed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until tomorrow," he told her. "We're going to get settled in before we are going to go out to dinner with Rachel and Owen. I also need to call Grandma to let her know that we have arrived safely."

Maddie was disappointed, but she kept herself occupied by going to the guestroom and unpacking her suitcase. Brooke was quiet as she unpacked her own suitcase. She then felt arms wrapping around her waist. "What are you thinking about?" Lucas asked her. "Are you thinking that you have missed New York so much that you want to move back here?"

Brooke laughed. "No, I love New York, but I love living in Tree Hill more," she replied as she turned around to face him. "After all, I have my mother, boyfriend, best sidekick and friends there. What else do I need?" she asked before she thought for a moment. "Maybe we could use a pet in the family."

Lucas tried not to smile. "You're ganging up on me too, huh?" he teased her before he leaned in and they shared a passionate kiss. They then pulled away and went back to unpacking their things.

After they unpacked and relaxed for awhile, they were finally ready to go out for dinner. Before they could get out the door, the doorbell rang. Lucas and Brooke exchanged confused looks. They weren't expecting anybody. Brooke knew that it wasn't Rachel since they were going to see her soon anyway.

Maddie ran to the door and Brooke was right behind her. To her surprise, it was Rachel and Owen. They greeted each other as Lucas joined them in the hallway. "Hey, I thought we were going to meet at the restaurant," Brooke told Rachel as she embraced Maddie in a tight hug.

"Well, Rachel didn't want to wait that long. We have some good news to share," Owen said. He then corrected himself. "Actually, we have two announcements." He turned to his fiancée. "Why don't you go first?"

Rachel nodded before she spoke. "Well, Owen and I have talked about it and decided to move to Wilmington so we can be close to my best friend." Brooke squealed with delight as she embraced her in another hug. "We're selling our apartment, but we're keeping our vacation house in the Hamptons. And I was hoping that I could help you with your store once it is up and running."

Brooke gave her a wide smile. "Of course you can," she replied. "So what's your other news?"

Rachel was quiet for a moment before she gave her her answer. "Owen and I are pregnant," she announced. Brooke was shocked at the revelation. "I've known for a couple of weeks, but I was waiting for the right time."

"No wonder you wanted to tell us so soon," Lucas told her. "That is certainly a reason to celebrate. Just make sure you don't drink any wine. That's not good for your baby."

Rachel gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, but I already knew that. So are you guys ready to go?" she asked them. Lucas and Brooke exchanged looks before they nodded. "Then let's go find something to eat."

Hours later, the three were back at the penthouse. Brooke put Maddie to bed before joining Lucas on the sofa. "You were quiet during dinner. Is everything okay?" Lucas asked Brooke.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired. It's been a long day." That was part of the truth, but it wasn't all of it. There was a short pause. "And I got a call from my dad today while we were waiting for you guys to come back from the bathroom." Lucas looked at her interested to hear more. "He wants to meet me for lunch tomorrow afternoon. I don't know if I should. We haven't talked to each other since he kicked me out of the house."

"You should give him a second chance," Lucas said. He had never met Richard Davis. According to Victoria, he wasn't one who would approve of him. "You did with your mom. Look how well that turned out."

Brooke knew he had a point. However, that wasn't going to convince her. "My mom always felt guilty for letting me take off with Julian," she replied. "My dad hasn't. How can I forgive him when he hasn't forgiven me?"

"Because you believe in the good in people," Lucas told her. Brooke let out a heavy sigh. She knew he was right again. She knew that she had to try and see if her dad had changed. "Do you want me to come with you?" he offered.

Brooke gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, but I think I should go alone. I'm not quite ready for him to meet you and Maddie yet."

The next afternoon, Brooke took a cab to the restaurant where she and her father were meeting. She didn't know how the lunch would go, considering she hadn't spoken to him in years. She had a lot of anger issues towards him for pushing her out of his life, but she was willing to give him a second chance.

A few minutes later, a hostess led Brooke to her father's table. Despite aging, Brooke recognized him immediately. He embraced her in a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He gestured her to sit down. "Thank you for coming," Richard said as he sat back down in his own chair. "I didn't know if you would come at all. And I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."

"It wasn't an easy decision, but I've decided to give you a chance," Brooke told him.

Her father couldn't help smiling at her. "How have you been? I heard you have moved from Charlotte to Tree Hill." Brooke didn't get a chance to respond as he continued. "I also heard about your baby. I'm very sorry. I wish I could have been there for you during that difficult time."

Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Because you never were around for me any other time," she snapped. "Why did you want me to meet you in the first place? Because I'm not falling for the apology line."

Richard tried to calm her down. "I'm here to discuss business with you." Brooke was still suspicious. "I have heard about your little clothing store that you want to open in Tree Hill. I would like to help you with that by taking it off your hands." Brooke instantly wanted to protest when her father didn't let him interrupt her. "Just hear me out. You have a talent with making clothes. But you don't know anything about running a business." Brooke shook her head in disbelief as he kept talking. "You need help. And that's where I come in."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have a few people already helping me," Brooke replied.

Richard tried not to laugh. "You don't mean the Scott family, do you?" he asked her. "They have a café, auto shop and a dance studio. If they are making enough money, they would have expanded their businesses by now."

"It's not all about money, Daddy," Brooke protested. "It's about being happy with what they have. They are happy with their businesses now. And as much as I would love to have a big clothing company, I want to start small."

"Yes, but you will probably run it out of business before you even start," Richard told her. "Now I can help you get investors and hire employees and the board, but you're going to have to let me take the reins."

Brooke was getting angrier with him by the minute. "So where does that leave me?" Brooke asked him. "Because this is supposed to be_ my_ business, not yours."

Her father nodded understandingly. "Don't worry. You'll be able to get ownership when you prove to me that you have earned it." Brooke just scoffed at him. "But you'll have to work for me until then, doing what you do best: designing clothes for children."

Brooke stopped him before he could go any further. "Daddy, I appreciate your help, but I'm not giving _my _business over to you. Yes, I have a talent for designing and making clothes. But it's not enough for me. I want to show the world who I am and what I can do."

"You can," Mr. Davis insisted. "You just aren't ready to do that yet. I can help you, but you're going to have to let me take control. Don't make the same mistake you did when you were in high school."

Brooke glared at him. "No, the only mistake I've made was coming here to meet you." She knew that she was getting close to making a scene. She didn't care since she was ready to leave anyway. She got up from her chair as her father tried to protest. "I can't believe you. I thought you changed, but you are still the same man who wants to control everything in my life."

"Brooke, why don't we talk about this somewhere else?" Mr. Davis hissed as he tried to calm her down.

Brooke shook her head. "No because I'm through with you. Good-bye Daddy." She ignored the looks and stares as she stormed out of the restaurant. She heard someone calling her name, but she ignored the voice. She couldn't believe that her dad was still trying to butter her up. She suddenly felt a tug on her arm, but she pushed the person away. The person then came in front of her and she realized that it was Lucas. She then realized that he had been watching her and had heard the conversation. She embraced him in a tight hug before she pulled away. "I can't believe I was so stupid in thinking that he had changed."

"I can't believe that he tried to convince you to sign your business over to him," Lucas replied.

Brooke then realized that Lucas was alone. She gave him a frown. "Wait, where's Maddie?"

"She's back at the penthouse with your mom," Lucas explained. "She figured that we would need someone to watch Maddie until Millie came with Jenny and Bridget." Brooke didn't respond. "Are you okay?"

Brooke was still quiet. "Is it okay I still hate my dad for treating me like crap?"

Lucas nodded as they embraced each other in another hug. "Come on. We'll get our lunch at a better restaurant," he told her before they started walking down the street, hand in hand.


	36. Remember Me as Time of Day

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. And thanks to my beta: Leeese

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Six<strong>

** Remember Me as Time of Day**

Brooke didn't let the disastrous lunch get her down. Instead, she concentrated on preparing herself for Rachel's wedding. Brooke had nothing to worry about. Rachel's wedding went without a hitch. Even though Brooke wasn't the bride, Lucas thought she looked beautiful anyway. It made him fall in love with her even more. He also thought that Brooke did a great job on Maddie's flower girl dress as well.

After Owen and Rachel left for their honeymoon, Lucas, Brooke and Maddie spent the rest of the weekend sightseeing. No matter where they went, Maddie stated that Central Park was her favorite place. She even enjoyed it better than the toy store. Once Millie arrived with Bridget and Jenny, Maddie wanted to show her friends what she had seen. Lucas didn't want to see the sights again so Brooke and Maddie gave the visitors the grand tour while Lucas stayed home with Victoria.

The vacation continued throughout the week where the adults took turns to watch the girls. One day, Brooke and Millie went shopping while Lucas watched the kids. It left him exhausted by the end of the day, but the kids had fun. That was all that mattered to him.

One evening, Millie volunteered to take care of the children while Lucas and Brooke went out on a date. Both Lucas and Brooke were grateful to be able to spend some alone time together. Lucas wasn't sure if they were going to be able to get it on the trip.

That evening, Lucas took Brooke to an Italian restaurant. "It's so nice to finally get out by ourselves, isn't it?" Lucas asked once they were seated at their private table. They looked over the menus as they talked. "It makes me wonder if I would want more kids whenever I get married again. Those little girls have too much energy."

Brooke was quiet for a moment. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when Maddie was upset about us going to New York without her?" she asked. Lucas nodded. "Well, I finally managed to find out the reason why. She has been feeling a little left out since we started dating."

Lucas frowned in confusion. "Wait a minute; I thought she wanted us to date."

"She does, but she doesn't want us to forget about her," Brooke replied. "That's why she was so looking forward to this trip. She knew that she would be able to spend some time with us."

Lucas sighed. "That does explain why she was upset. I'm glad Peyton agreed to let Maddie go on this trip. But it now makes me wonder what weekend she will pick to replace this weekend."

"I don't understand why you are arguing with her about the weekends when you have full custody of Maddie," Brooke said as their food arrived. She waited until their waiter left before she continued. "Shouldn't you have full control of when she sees Peyton?"

"Peyton wants to see Maddie now," Lucas said. "So we are doing our best to agree on which weekends she gets to see her." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "I have to admit that I never thought that I would be sharing custody of Maddie with Peyton. It's a little weird, but thankfully, Peyton is cooperating with the schedule."

"I'm surprised that she still wanted visitation rights after everything that she put you and Maddie through," Brooke said. "But I guess she felt that this was the only way for her to see Maddie without causing trouble." Lucas didn't respond. She could see that he didn't want to discuss it anymore. So Brooke changed the subject. "So did you really mean what you said about not having any more children?" she asked him as she sipped her water. "Maddie would be disappointed to hear that. I know how much she would love a baby brother or sister."

Lucas tried not to laugh. "Yeah, I know. I'm more worried about her pushing me to get her a pet right now."

"Lucas, she_ is_ going to be five in a couple of weeks," Brooke gently reminded him. "And she is going to go into kindergarten in a few months. She's growing up. She wants a little more responsibility."

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You sound like an expert for a woman who doesn't have kids yet." Brooke just laughed. "Do you still want kids after what happened to you?"

Brooke nodded. "Ever since I was little, I've always dreamed of getting married and having a big family."

"How big are you talking about?" Lucas asked her curiously.

"Well, I certainly don't want seven kids like the Von Trapp family," Brooke joked. Lucas laughed this time. "But I think I'll settle for three or four kids. As long as I have a daughter in the mix, I don't mind raising boys."

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "I'm sure you'll end up with a mini Brooke. If not, I'm sure one of your sons will have your fashion sense and want to run your company someday."

"We're a long way off from that," Brooke reminded him. "I first have to get my company up and running."

"Don't worry. Your clothing store will be a big success," Lucas assured her. He then heard his cell-phone vibrating in his pocket. He checked to see who was calling, hoping that it wasn't Millie. He frowned when he saw it was his mother. "I'll be right back," he told Brooke and headed outside to take the call.

Brooke waited patiently until he was able to return to the table. He had a worried look on his face. "Lucas, what's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "Are your parents okay?" she asked. Lucas wasn't able to speak. He was still in shock over the news he had received. Brooke tried to get him to speak. "What happened?"

Lucas finally managed to get his words out. "Do you remember my former high school basketball coach, Whitey?" he asked her. Brooke nodded her head. Lucas had often spoken of Whitey. She hadn't been able to meet him yet. Once he had retired from coaching, he had moved to Florida. He had visited the Scott family a lot over the years, but he hadn't been able to get back up in time to support Lucas during the custody trial. "He has just passed away. My mom said that there was some incident at a fair and Whitey rescued a little girl from falling debris. But that caused problems with his heart and he died from internal injuries."

Brooke felt so bad for Lucas. She knew how close he was to him. She quickly sprung into action. "We'll cancel the rest of the trip so you can get back to Tree Hill for the funeral." Lucas smiled gratefully at her. They quickly finished up their dinner. Well, Brooke ate the rest of her dinner. But Lucas wasn't in the mood to eat. He was too upset to.

Lucas waited until they were back in Tree Hill before telling Maddie about Whitey. She was just as upset as he was, but she put on a brave face for him and her grandparents. She then started to ask questions about death and where he had gone to. Her grandparents answered them as best as they could.

Since Whitey didn't have any immediate family, Keith and Karen took care of the funeral arrangements. However, Whitey had a few requests about how he wanted to be buried. He wanted to be cremated and his ashes were going to be scattered in front of the high school gym. Lindsey didn't object to that arrangement.

The adults didn't believe that the children belonged at the funeral, but they wanted to give him a proper good-bye. So Jamie, Jenny and Maddie all were given permission to attend the funeral while Bridget and little Edward would stay home with Millie.

Lucas looked at himself in the mirror. He never enjoyed wearing black. It always showed how depressing and sad the situation was. The last time he had gone to a funeral was Larry's. Even though his death was sad, Lucas wasn't too upset over his death. He had never been close to him.

Whitey was different. This person wasn't just his former coach. He also had been his mentor, not to mention a part of the family. He had helped him through some tough times. Lucas still couldn't believe that he was gone. He wished that he had a chance to say good-bye to him, but he guessed that he had to settle on doing it by attending and speaking at the funeral.

Once Lucas, Maddie and Brooke arrived at their destination, they went their separate ways. Lucas went to the receiving line while Maddie hung out with Jamie and Jenny, who had already arrived with their parents. Keith and Karen were also already there.

Brooke looked at the many pictures that were spread out on the table that had been set up for people to look at. She smiled to herself as she saw a picture of Whitey holding baby Maddie. "He loved those kids like they were his own grandkids," Haley told her as she came up next to her. "He even came up for a couple of weeks to help Lucas with Maddie after Peyton left."

"I wish I could have known him," Brooke said sadly. "Do you think he would have liked me?"

Haley gave her a wide smile. "He would have loved you just because of the fact you were helping Lucas with taking care of Maddie." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "How is Lucas holding up?"

Brooke sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "He won't talk to me. I'm trying to give him space, but I feel that it's not enough. I want to help him, but I don't know what to do. I've never been in this situation before."

Haley nodded understandingly. "I know. Me neither." She gave her a comforting smile. "Just give him time. He'll come around. I think you being here for him is enough for now." Brooke wasn't so sure. However, she also knew that Haley was right. Lucas just needed some time to grieve. She had to be patient and supportive. That's all she could do for right now.

Once the funeral started, Brooke joined Karen, Deb, Haley and the children in the front row. Lucas, Nathan and some of the former basketball players were behind Keith, who was doing the eulogy. Lucas and the players were each planning to say something about their beloved coach.

Keith started the ceremony by telling the crowd about Whitey's life. Brooke squeezed Karen's hand as tears came down her cheeks. She gave her a grateful smile in response. After Keith spoke, it was Lucas's turn. He cleared his throat before he spoke. Brooke didn't realize how much of an eloquent speaker he was. She could tell that it was hard for him and wished she could comfort him.

When everyone was done speaking, Lucas took Whitey's urn and spread his ashes on the lawn in front of the gym. Then everyone started to get up from their seats and prepared themselves to go to the reception at the Scott house.

However, Lucas stayed where he was. His family knew that he wanted a moment alone. So Brooke took Maddie to the car. They waited patiently until he was ready to return to the car. Once he did, he didn't say anything to either of them. Brooke hoped that he would be able to get back to his usual self soon. It would just take time.


	37. The Birthday Bash

**A/N**: Thanks to my readers for reviewing and Leeese for editing. After a lot of thought, I've decided to cut the story into two parts. There will be a few more chapters before the first part of the story is completed.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Seven<strong>

** The Birthday Bash**

As the next few days went by, Lucas continued to mourn his beloved coach and mentor. Keith and Karen believed it was best to send Lucas away for a weekend while Brooke took care of Maddie. When he returned, he admitted that he did feel a little better. It was still hard for him at times. However, he was able to stay strong thanks to Maddie and Brooke. They were really there when he needed them to lean on and cheer him up when he was down.

Soon it was Jamie's birthday. Since he was turning five, he wanted a birthday party with all of his friends. He also wanted a theme for his party. Nathan and Haley were going to allow him choose the theme, but there was one theme that Haley wasn't going to allow: circus. Circus meant clowns and she hated the thought of that person with the creepy face coming anywhere near her. Luckily, he had chosen basketball.

His birthday party was a huge success, thanks to Brooke. She was quite the party planner and had planned everything to perfection. Everyone enjoyed the events that she had planned, especially the birthday boy himself. Brooke was proud of her accomplishment.

Brooke then started working on Maddie's birthday party. To everyone's relief, Peyton wanted Maddie to visit her after her birthday weekend. She figured that they already had plans for her so she didn't want to interrupt them. To Lucas's surprise, she had her own plans for Maddie for her birthday. He couldn't believe that she was stepping up as a parent. He still believed that she was up to something, but his mother encouraged him to trust Peyton.

Like Jamie, Maddie wanted to have a special birthday. Yet, her request was a little different than Jamie's. She didn't care about having a theme, but she wanted a different location. Instead of having it at her house, she wanted to have it at her favorite place to play: the park. Lucas agreed and Brooke started working on getting everything ready for the party with the exception of the surprise that her aunt Haley had already planned for her.

Lucas and Brooke were busy making breakfast when they heard footsteps on the stairs. They knew that it had to be Maddie since she was the only one who wasn't up yet. It was only seconds later when she appeared in the doorway. "Good morning, Birthday Girl," Lucas greeted brightly as he gave his daughter a wide smile.

"May I ask how old you are?" Brooke asked playfully as she pulled a confused face. "I forget."

Maddie smiled proudly and held up her hand showing her five fingers. "I'm five years old now."

"Wow, you're getting old," Brooke teased her. "Soon you'll be older than me."

Maddie giggled before she turned to her dad. "Daddy, can I open one of my presents now?" she asked him eagerly. "Please?"

Lucas gave her a wide smile. "Who could say no to that?" He gave his daughter a kiss before he disappeared from the kitchen.

Brooke gave her her breakfast as they waited for him to return with the present. "Are you excited about your party this afternoon?" she asked. "I'm sure you're even more excited about the fireworks tonight."

Maddie nodded. "Are Aunt Rachel and Uncle Owen coming?"

Brooke gave the little girl a gentle smile. "I'm afraid not, sweetie. They made other plans, but they did send you a present."

Maddie was disappointed, but she quickly became happy once she heard that they had sent her a present. She became even happier when she had a gift to open. She squealed in delight when she saw that it was a 4th of July T-shirt. She thanked them before she ran to try it on. Lucas used that opportunity to make out with his girlfriend.

They were able to get a few minutes before Maddie returned into the room. "Can I show it to Jenny?" she asked anxiously.

"Why don't you finish eating your breakfast?" Lucas suggested. "Then you can go and hang out with Jenny."

Maddie grumbled, but obeyed his orders. As soon as she was finished, she quickly cleaned off her plate before she ran out the front door. Brooke just shook her head in amusement. "I've never seen her so excited about getting a present before, especially a T-shirt."

"Well, she loves 4th of July T-shirts," Lucas replied. "I get her one every year and make sure that it's never the same design. And she never knows if I'm going to give it to her right away or not."

"If she gets excited over the T-shirt, it makes me wonder how excited she will get when she finds out her other surprises," Brooke said. "What made you change your mind about getting Maddie a pet?"

Lucas let out a heavy sigh. "It was Whitey's death. He made me realize how life is too short to have regrets. And I'm afraid I'm going to regret not giving Maddie a chance to have a pet. I just wish she still wanted a kitten instead of a puppy. A kitten would be able to take care of itself eventually. And the puppy might scare Jenny's kitten away." Maddie had asked about getting a pet once more since the discussion. However, she had also told her father that she had changed her mind and wanted a puppy instead of a kitten.

Brooke just laughed. "I think you worry too much. Everything will be fine. And Maddie will have another best friend to hang out with."

A few hours later, Brooke and Haley headed to the park to set up for the party. They took the children with them while the fathers went to play on the River Court. Mouth soon joined them. Lucas was quiet as he processed his thoughts. "I still can't believe that my little girl is five years old. It seems like yesterday she was a baby." His friends nodded in agreement. They all had the same thoughts about their children. "I suppose it doesn't help that we all had them young. Of course, some of us were younger than others."

Nathan gave his brother a look. "It's not like we were expecting to get pregnant with Jamie so soon."

Lucas interrupted him. "Speaking of children, have you and Haley figured out a name for my niece yet?"

Nathan shook his head. "No, we are still playing around with names. How did you and Peyton come up with Maddie's name again?"

"Peyton and I came to a compromise," Lucas reminded him. "I would choose the first name if we had the middle name as Elizabeth."

"Peyton really didn't care about the baby, did she?" Jake asked. "Otherwise, you would think that she would try and participate more than what she had. Are you happy that she is finally stepping up as a parent?"

"I'm not sure if you would call her a parent," Nathan said. "After all, she gave up her parental rights to Lucas. She even gave him her blessing to allow his next wife to adopt Maddie as her daughter." He turned to his brother with a smile. "Is that going to be Brooke?"

Lucas tried not to laugh. "We're nowhere near that stage in our relationship. Even if we were, I'm not going to talk about it with my buddies." He changed the subject and his friends didn't mention it again.

A half-hour later, the Scott family and Maddie's friends surrounded the birthday girl as she blew out her five candles with one breath. The guests applauded and cheered as Maddie started opening her gifts. She kindly thanked the person that had given her the gift after she had unwrapped it.

Lucas wasn't happy when he saw that Maddie had received an extravagant gift from Rachel and Owen: a red Ramshackle Playhouse. However, he could see that Maddie was thrilled to have one to play in in the backyard. She and her friends were already enjoying the gift by playing in it.

"Gee, I wonder how you are going to top that," Haley teased him as she noticed the annoyed look on Lucas's face. He turned to her as she gave him a wink. "Do you want to get the birthday girl while I get Mia?" she whispered. She wanted to make sure Maddie couldn't hear her.

Lucas nodded in agreement. It took a few minutes before the children were able to get rounded up and sit at the table again. Maddie couldn't wait to find out what other two surprises that awaited her. He then persuaded his daughter to close her eyes.

Once she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe who was standing in front of her or what she was holding in her arms. She embraced her idol in a gentle hug as Mia gave her a wide smile. "Happy birthday, Maddie. This little gal is for you," she told her as she gently handed the Chihuahua over to the birthday girl. Maddie was speechless as Mia spoke again. "You can thank your dad and Brooke. This is their gift to you. I just helped them find the right puppy for you." Maddie quickly thanked everyone as she and her friends started playing with the puppy.

Lucas and Brooke watched fondly as the two new best friends ran around chasing each other. After the adults calmed down the children again, Mia sang a couple of songs. The birthday party continued with cake and ice cream. After a few hours of fun and fireworks, they arrived back at the house. Poor Maddie was so exhausted that Lucas had to carry her into the house. Brooke was right behind them with the new puppy.

Maddie opened her eyes for a few moments as she noticed the dog items in the kitchen and den. "We got all the items that your puppy needs except for a collar and the tags. After all, we believe that you should name her. Do you have a name for your new friend?"

Maddie nodded. "Her name is Lola."

"Well, I think it's time for you and Lola to get into bed," Brooke said. "Does the birthday girl want me to read her a story tonight?" Maddie nodded as she said good night to her dad. Brooke gently gave the puppy to her before she started to head to her bedroom.

Brooke and Lucas then turned to each other and exchanged smiles. "Well, you certainly made your daughter's dream come true. How are you going to top it next year?" Brooke asked as she wrapped her arms around Lucas's neck. "A cell-phone? Or perhaps a car?" she teased him, knowing perfectly well that wasn't going to happen.

Lucas laughed as they drew closer. "She isn't getting either one of those until she is close to her teen years especially the car."

Brooke just gave him a smile. "Well, I'm going to check on Maddie. I'll be back in five minutes." She then gave her boyfriend a loving kiss before she left him. To her surprise, Maddie was still awake, snuggled up to Lola. They exchanged wide smiles as Brooke came over to them. "Did you have a great birthday?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "This is the best birthday ever," she declared. "Next year, I want a brother or sister."

Brooke tried to think of the best answer for that request. "Well, you do know that your dad and I would have to get married first before that would happen, right?"

"Aunt Rachel told me that it doesn't have to happen that way," Maddie told her. "She told me that it could be the other way too."

Brooke knew that she would have to have a talk with her best friend. "That's true, but your dad and I would rather wait until after we get married to give you a brother or sister." She then realized that she was talking as if they were planning on getting married and having a future together. The truth was that they hadn't even discussed it because it was too early in their relationship. "That's a long way off though. So why don't we talk about it another time? It's time for you and Lola to get to sleep."

"But I don't want to go to sleep," Maddie protested. "Then it won't be my birthday anymore."

Brooke gave her a gentle smile. "No, but this is the only the beginning of your adventures of being five years old. After all, you have Lola to take care of now. And you'll be entering kindergarten soon. And you're going to be a cousin again. So your birthday may be ending, but you'll have plenty of fun coming up." She then kissed her good night before she left the room.

Lucas met her in the hallway. "Did you hear what she said?" Brooke whispered. "She wants a brother or sister next year for her birthday."

Lucas nodded. He had overhead that part of the conversation. "I can't say that I'm surprised," he told her as they went back down to the first floor. "She has been wanting a sibling for years, but she knew that it couldn't happen unless I met someone else. I'm sure she is a little jealous that Jamie is the one who is becoming an elder sibling instead of her."

"What do you think we should do about it?" Brooke asked.

Lucas sighed. "Maddie understands that it takes time to get the happily ever after part, but I don't think she realizes how long it takes or the obstacles that a couple overcomes to get there. But she believes in 'People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end'."

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "Well, there is nothing wrong with a little girl who wants a happy ending for her dad."

Lucas thought about it for a moment or two before he realized that she was right. They were about to kiss when they heard Maddie calling their names, telling them that Lola had an accident on the hallway carpet. Lucas groaned as he turned to Brooke. "We can still take Lola back, right?"


	38. Over My Head

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. Thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Eight<strong>

** Over My Head**

For the next few weeks, Lucas, Brooke and Maddie worked hard training Lola especially Maddie. She wanted to prove to her dad that she was doing a good job in taking care of Lola. She even helped Brooke clean up Lola's messes when she had accidents in the house. Lucas didn't want to admit it, but he even started to enjoy having the little puppy around.

While the Scott family was adjusting to the new puppy, Rachel and Owen were getting ready to move from New York City to Wilmington. To their delight, they were able to not only sell their apartment, but also find a house in a short time span. It was a perfect two story four bedroom house with a big backyard for their future children to play in.

Shortly after that was the grand opening of Brooke's Children's Boutique. The first day was a huge success. Brooke couldn't count how many items were sold. She didn't particularly care. She just was thrilled that her business was off to a great start and knew that she had made the right decision in not partnering with Richard.

Soon, it was the first day of kindergarten for Maddie, Jamie and Jenny. Bridget was upset that she wouldn't be able to go with them. It became even worse when Millie announced that she was going to not only be a working mom, but she was going to work for Brooke at her store. She had thought about changing careers since she and Mouth decided to move back to Tree Hill. She just wanted to wait until they found a house before she discussed the subject with Mouth. Mouth was very supportive about his wife's decision to change careers. However, this meant that Bridget would be put in daycare with her brother and she wasn't happy about it.

The days continued to pass quickly. On Halloween night, Lucas and Brooke took the children out for trick or treating. Both Brooke and Maddie dressed up as superheroes while Jamie wore his racecar suit again. Jenny and Bridget both wore princess costumes. Little Edward was dressed as a little Dalmatian.

Brooke tried to convince Haley to come along since she had made a superhero costume for her too. It was made to fit over her baby bump. However, Haley refused to wear it or even go along with them. She wanted to spend a peaceful evening with her husband and didn't believe that she would be able to walk for that long.

"Why the hell would you invite Rachel to my baby shower?" Haley demanded as she and Brooke discussed the last minute plans for the baby shower. They were going over the guest list. However, Haley interrupted her as soon as she heard Rachel's name. "She is your friend, not mine." Brooke tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't have it. "Tell me one good reason why I should let her come to my baby shower."

"Knowing her, she will probably get you an awesome baby present," Brooke reminded her. "And she doesn't have many friends here. I'm trying to make her feel welcomed and you're not helping." She didn't want to tell her friend that Rachel had been acting strange ever since she had moved to North Carolina. Brooke couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she could sense that something was bothering her. She just wished Rachel would tell her what it was. "At least it's not Peyton. Of course, I wouldn't invite her anyway. So can Rachel come?"

Haley let out a deep sigh before she agreed. "So what is the final count of people attending my baby shower again?"

"We have me and Maddie, Millie and Bridget, Jenny, your mom, Quinn, Karen, Deb, Victoria, Lindsey, Mia, Rachel and your secretary Renee," Brooke told her. "So it is fourteen people. I'm so glad that Karen is willing to close the café so we could hold the baby shower. Speaking of my future goddaughter, did you and Nathan ever figure out a name for her yet?" she asked anxiously. They hadn't had a chance to talk much since she had opened her clothing store.

Haley just gave her a smile. "Yes, but we want to keep that a surprise until the birth."

Brooke pretended to be hurt. "You don't even want to tell her own godmother her name? Why is it such a secret?"

"Because it's more fun this way," Haley replied. "And please take Renee's name off the invitation list. She's not my secretary anymore. I fired her a couple of months ago. She was trying to tell me how to run my business and was chasing away potential music students. I tried to tolerate it as long as I could, but something had to be done. Annie, our next door neighbor who Maddie went to when she ran away, is now my personal assistant. And that is working out great."

"Annie seems like a nice girl," Brooke agreed. "Do you want me to invite her to your baby shower instead?"

"Actually, I already asked her and she is busy that afternoon," Haley replied. "Besides, she thinks that it might be weird since I'm her boss and everything. I told her that if she changes her mind, we would be happy to have her."

Brooke changed the subject. "So what do you guys usually do for the Thanksgiving holidays?"

"Nathan and I always go to my parents' house," Haley replied. "Thanksgiving is my mom's favorite holiday. You're welcome to join us, but Lucas and Maddie will probably go to Keith's and Karen's house. They do every year and then we all come together for Christmas. What did you and Julian do?"

"We didn't have a grand holiday for Thanksgiving since it was just the two of us," Brooke replied. "Sometimes, his mom came and visited us or Rachel. But most of the time, it was just me and him."

Haley had forgotten that Brooke wasn't speaking to her parents back then. "Well, now you have Lucas and the rest of the Scott family to spend the holidays with. And you made up with your mom so you can invite her along too. I'm sure she doesn't have Thanksgiving plans."

While Brooke and Haley were talking, Lucas was driving to another location to talk to someone else. He had been surprised when this particular person wanted to talk to him. Normally, Rachel would go to Brooke to discuss her problems, not him. But she had told him that this wasn't something that she felt that her best friend could help her with.

Lucas soon arrived at his destination and parked the car in front of Rachel's house. He climbed out of the car and went up to the door. He rang the doorbell and jumped when he heard barking on the other side of the door. He wasn't expecting to hear a dog. He calmed down as Rachel came into view.

"I'm so sorry about that. I forgot to warn you about Juliet," Rachel said as she scooped the white Pomeranian under her arms. "Owen got her for me as a belated wedding present. Isn't she adorable?"

Lucas just gave her a smile. "I don't even have to guess to know that you got the name from Romeo and Juliet," he replied.

Rachel returned the smile as she closed the door behind them. "It was the only Shakespeare play in high school that I was willing to read and understand what they were saying." She put her dog down before she turned back to her guest. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Lucas shook his head. He wanted to get down to business. Rachel didn't say anything as she gestured him to sit down on the sofa. He did as he asked, "Is everything okay?" There was more silence as she put her dog down. He noticed that she was getting upset. "Hey, what happened?" Lucas asked her in concern as he tried to comfort her.

The tears fell as Rachel managed to speak. "I can't do this." Lucas was confused, but he didn't have a chance to answer as she continued. "I thought it would be easy since Owen and I are in love. At least, I thought we were. But all we do is argue about everything. It doesn't matter whether it's about money or the nursery. No matter how the conversation starts out, we start arguing. We're like Richard and Victoria, only worse."

That sparked Lucas's interest. "How are you two worse than them?" Rachel knew that she had said something that she shouldn't have. "Has the relationship gotten physical?" he asked anxiously. Rachel was about to protest when Lucas looked at her. "Rachel, is Owen hitting you?"

Rachel let out a deep sigh before she answered him. "Owen has started drinking again," she admitted. Lucas was about to respond when she continued the story. "But he does it in the bar. The bartender knows better than to let him drive home drunk. So he usually calls me when Owen has had enough and I drive him home."

Lucas just shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want to hear her excuses. "How do you know that he won't bring it home or get in a car accident and kill someone? Or you?" he exclaimed as he shot up from the couch. "You have a baby on the way! You have a responsibility to yourself and your unborn child to be safe and away from your drunken husband!"

Rachel gave him a look. "Don't you think I know that? I've tried to tell Owen that he needs to stop and get help, but he doesn't want to listen to me. He never wants to listen to me. He does whatever he wants." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "It wasn't like this in the beginning, but we have been having problems since we've moved here. I know that he doesn't miss New York. He really didn't mind moving here." She let out another heavy sigh. "I think it's because we just weren't ready for marriage. I don't know what to do. I love him, but I can't live like this. And I can't raise a baby by myself. I wouldn't know what to do."

Lucas tried to calm her down. He could tell that she was feeling overwhelmed at the thought of marriage and having a baby so quickly. He knew exactly how she felt and he now understood why she had called him. "You and Owen can still work this out before it's too late. All you have to do is try to talk to Owen one last time and give him an ultimatum: rehab or you leave him. If he doesn't want to listen, then I'll try and reason with him and give him a chance to come to his senses."

Rachel tried not to laugh. "I don't think your methods of reasoning with him will go well with your ex-wife. As much as I want Owen to stop drinking, I don't want you to get into another custody battle with Peyton. I know how rough the first one was on you; especially since that judge gave custody to Peyton after you had an outburst in court. I hope someone complained about him because that was not fair."

"Well, it doesn't matter because I was able to get back custody of Maddie," Lucas replied.

Rachel nodded in agreement. She didn't respond as she started to think about a request that she had planned for awhile, but she was trying to figure out the right time to tell Lucas and Brooke about it. "Lucas, I don't know what will happen in the future with Owen or this baby, but would you and Brooke take care of my child if something happens to me and I'm not able to? I don't want Owen to do it, not while he is drinking." Lucas was speechless. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear from Rachel. "I know you two are already going to be the godparents. And you have Maddie to think about, but I really want you and Brooke to be named guardians of my baby."

Lucas was silent for a few moments as he considered the thought. "I'm sure Brooke will agree with me when I say that we would be happy to be your baby's guardians."

Rachel gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Lucas. You don't know how much this means to me."


	39. With Arms Outstretched

**A/N: **Thanks to my beta: Leeese.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Nine<strong>

** With Arms Outstretched**

Brooke knocked on the door and waited patiently until Rachel was able to open it. However, there was no movement inside. She waited a few more seconds before she pulled out the spare key that Rachel had given her in case of an emergency. "Rachel, are you here?" Brooke called as she stepped through the foyer. Hearing a response, she followed the sound until she reached the kitchen, where Rachel was eating a snack. "Are you ready to head over to the café for Haley's baby shower?"

Rachel groaned. Brooke couldn't tell if she was actually in pain or she just didn't want to go. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to pass. I'm not feeling very well and the doctor told me to take it easy for awhile. Besides, Haley won't miss me. She has plenty of friends to celebrate the day with."

Rachel had a point. However, Brooke wasn't planning to give up so easily. "Yeah, but you should get out while you still can because you won't be able to once that baby is born. Besides, we haven't spent that much time together outside of work."

Rachel let out a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry, but I've been busy preparing for your godchild."

Brooke groaned. "You and Haley are both torturing me here with lack of information about my godchildren. Haley won't tell me her name and you won't tell me anything about your child. I don't know why since you usually tell me everything."

"What was Haley's excuse for not telling you about her daughter?" Rachel asked curiously. "Maybe I can use her excuse." Brooke gave her a look. "Why do you need to know whether it's a boy or girl? So you can make sure that you have the right color theme for my baby shower? Well, you can forget it because I'm not having one." Before Brooke could even ask, Rachel answered for her. "I just don't want you to go through the hassle and setting one up for me."

"As I told Haley, it's no problem for me," Brooke replied. She could tell that Rachel wasn't really interested in having a baby shower. She let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. I won't host a baby shower for you. But are you sure you won't go to Haley's baby shower?" she asked. Rachel nodded. "Then I won't go either."

This time, Rachel gave her best friend a look. "No, the hostess can't skip out on her own party. Haley would kill you. No you go and we'll get together another time." Brooke was still reluctant to leave her. "If you really want me to have some company, why don't you send Lucas my way?" she suggested. Brooke thought for a moment before she agreed to the idea.

Soon Lucas was in the house, attending to Rachel who had moved from the kitchen to the lounge. She settled onto the couch and propped her sore ankles up on pillows that were placed on the coffee table. "I'll be so glad when these nine months are over. I'm tired of the constant peeing, backaches and weird food cravings."

Lucas laughed. "You just wait until this baby is born. Then your real work begins." Rachel didn't answer, making him concerned about what she was thinking. "Rachel, you will be able to take care of your baby just fine without Owen."

"It's a boy," Rachel told him as she looked down at her big bump. "It's going to be a boy. I haven't told anybody yet because I'm not sure whether I'm going to keep the baby or not. I know Owen needs help. And that's why I don't want to leave him. He needs my support."

"What about your son?" Lucas asked. "You know that he shouldn't grow up in this environment. And neither should you."

Rachel didn't answer, wanting to change the subject. She grabbed the book that was on the table next to the sofa. "Did you know I've picked out a name?" she asked. Lucas shook his head. "I just need to figure out a middle name. Do you think you can help me?"

"I'll certainly try," Lucas replied as he joined her on the couch. "What will be his first name?"

"Well, I wanted something different, but not too weird that people would criticize the name. So his name will be Wyatt. What middle name fits with that?"

Lucas thought for a moment. "Well, I told myself that I would honor my mentor somehow in my son's name." Rachel knew who he was talking about since she had heard about Whitey's death from Brooke. "His full name was Brian Joseph Durham."

"Wyatt Joseph sounds perfect," Rachel replied as she gave him a smile. Lucas smiled in return.

After that visit, Lucas continued to stop by and see her. Especially since Owen wasn't around. He also took her to her doctor's appointments and got to listen to Wyatt's heartbeat and see his progress. It made him remember when Peyton was pregnant with Maddie and the joy and anxiety about having a baby. However, all he could see from Rachel was worry and stress. She wasn't ready to have this baby alone. Unfortunately, Owen didn't look like he was getting any better about his drinking.

Lucas also was the one who started picking up a drunken Owen after the bartender told him that he had his limit for the night. Owen was never happy about it, but Lucas never allowed him to drive home drunk. He would bring him home and made him sleep on his couch, away from his pregnant wife. Sometimes, he would even spend the night to help Owen with his hangover.

One night, Lucas was in a deep sleep when he was woken up by the sound of his phone vibrating. He groaned as he turned on the light and checked the phone. "Hello?" he mumbled. Once he heard the voice on the other end and the reason why this person was calling, he was suddenly wide awake. "I'll be right over." He hurried out of his room and went to knock on Brooke's door. Once she opened the door, Lucas didn't let her ask before he told her the exciting news. "Haley is in labor." Brooke almost let out a squeal when she remembered that Maddie was still sleeping. "I'm going to go across the street and watch Jamie since Nathan and Haley don't want to wake him."

"You don't have to worry about a thing. I can take care of everything here," Brooke told him before they shared a kiss. "See you in a few hours, Babe," she called as he headed out the front door. She then started calling relatives, telling them that the newest Scott was on the way.

A few hours later, Lucas, Brooke and the two children were having breakfast together when there was a knock at the door. Lola started barking as Jamie and Maddie ran to answer it. However, Lucas told them to finish eating their breakfast and that he would answer the door. The kids grumbled, but obeyed his orders.

Lucas had barely opened the door when Owen came storming into the foyer. "Where the hell is my wife?" he demanded. He didn't let Lucas answer as he marched through the house. "I know she is here." He glanced through the rooms before he reached the kitchen. He turned to Brooke. "Brooke, I don't suppose you can tell me where you are hiding my wife."

Brooke frowned. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven't spoken to her since she left work yesterday."

Owen gave her a look. "Come on, Brooke. You're her best friend. Surely you know where she is."

"Guys, why don't you play with Lola for awhile?" Lucas suggested to the children. Maddie and Jamie quickly finished their breakfasts before leaving the room. "Rachel's not here, Owen. But even if she was, I wouldn't let her go anywhere near you. At least not until you get some help for your drinking."

Owen glared at him. "You don't know what the fuck you are talking about," he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I do," Lucas told him, ignoring the language he was using. "I know all about your drinking. I've been the one who has driven you home from the bar, remember?" Owen rolled his eyes. Lucas was doing his best not to punch this guy. "Do you realize how much you're hurting her and your child by doing this?" Owen was about to respond when Lucas let him answer. "You can deny it all you want, but you are an alcoholic. And if you don't stop drinking, you won't only end up without a wife or child, but you will end up in jail for causing a car accident."

Owen just glared at him before he stormed out of the house. Lucas kept a watchful eye on him to make sure that he had left the premises. He then checked on the kids before he went back to Brooke. However, she was already getting ready to head out the door. Lucas didn't even have to ask to know where she was going. "I've got to find Rachel before he finds her." Her worry soon turned to anger. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this. I'm supposed to be your girlfriend. We're not supposed to hide any secrets from each other."

Lucas looked at her in confusion. "I thought you would be happy that I was looking after Rachel. Besides, she was the one who asked me not to say anything to you." Brooke didn't want to listen to his excuses. "You're mad because she went to me instead of you?"

Brooke didn't answer. "We'll talk about this when I get home." She didn't say another word as she went out the door. It had taken her a few moments before she realized where Rachel had gone to. It was too obvious that she would go to a lawyer, but not just any lawyer. She would go see the best child custody lawyer in the state.

As she drove to her mother's house, she could see that a car was following her. And it wasn't just any car. It was Owen's. She cursed to herself as she realized how stupid she was. Of course Owen would follow her to wherever Rachel was hiding. Thinking of a plan, she turned towards the direction of her store.

It was a relief when she arrived at the store safely. Her relief turned to surprise when she found Rachel there, behind the counter. She frowned as she walked over to her. "What are you doing here? Owen made it sound like you left him."

"I did," Rachel admitted. "Your mom is working on getting a restraining order against him right now."

"Why didn't you tell me that Owen was drinking again?" Brooke hissed, trying to keep her voice low as there were still customers in the room. "We could have taken care of this earlier."

Rachel gave her a look. "You would have done the same thing if it was Lucas."

Brooke knew that was true. "Yeah, but there would also be a point where I have to let someone else take over. I wouldn't want me or Maddie to get hurt. And I know you don't want my godchild to get hurt."

Rachel gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. That has all been arranged already. If anything happens to me and Owen is still drinking, you and Lucas will take care of your godchild."

Brooke looked at her in confusion. "When did we decide that?" Rachel didn't answer as her best friend realized what had happened. "I can't believe that you talked to Lucas without me. What has gotten into you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Rachel replied as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm not the only one keeping secrets, Brooke. I know you are upset that Haley and I are the ones who are pregnant. Even though you and Julian were separated, you still wished that you could have had your baby. And you would have raised him or her with Lucas and Maddie by your side. But now you're feeling like three is a crowd because of Maddie."

"We're not talking about me though," Brooke said. "We're talking about you asking Lucas to take care of our godchild without even letting me in on the plan." Rachel was about to explain herself when Brooke continued. "I would love to take care of your child, but I don't know if I'm ready to go through this again."

"Brooke, calm down. It's only if something happens to me," Rachel reminded her. "And what are you talking about? You are terrific with Maddie."

"A five year old is different than an infant," Brooke said as she glanced down at Rachel's bulging belly. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Rachel looked at her husband's car across the street. "I hope so." She then turned back to Brooke, who was pressing numbers on her cell-phone. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm getting your husband away from the store," Brooke told her. "But I'm going to check on Haley first. She went into labor early this morning and we haven't heard from her since. I hope she has had the baby by now."

"Why don't you just go to the hospital and see her instead of waiting for news?" Rachel asked. Brooke wanted to protest, but Rachel insisted that she needed to leave. "Go on, Brooke. I know you want to. And I'll be fine. I promise that I'll call you if I run into trouble." Brooke gave her a grateful smile as she embraced her in a gentle hug. They quickly said good-bye before Brooke left the store and climbed back into her car. She drove off before Rachel turned to her phone. She took a deep breath before she called the police.


	40. Winning a Battle, Losing the War

**A/N**: Thanks to my beta: Leeese.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>

** Winning a Battle, Losing the War**

When Brooke arrived at the hospital, she found out that there was still no baby. Rather than going back to work or the house, she decided to stay there and wait to hear the news. She wandered up to the nursery and looked through the glass at the newborn babies, almost wishing that it was her who was in labor and waiting for her child to be born. At the same time, she was glad that it wasn't.

For the first few months after the miscarriage, she did wish that she still was pregnant with Julian's baby. It would have been fun to have been pregnant at the same time as Haley and then Rachel. They would have driven their husbands' nuts with their hormones and wacky cravings. Their kids could have grown up together.

But as the months went by, Brooke realized that it probably was for the best. Even though the Scott family had promised to help her raise her baby, she didn't believe that Julian would have allowed Lucas to adopt the baby. In fact, she believed that history would have repeated itself and there would have been another tough custody battle.

After several more minutes of looking at the babies, she went to the waiting room. It wasn't long before Lucas and the children arrived. It seemed that Haley was finally close to having the baby. So the family wanted to be together at the hospital when they heard about the newest addition of the Scott family.

Soon after the rest of the gang showed up, a smiling Nathan came out and announced that their daughter had arrived. There were hugs as he answered their questions about the height and weight. He then led the group to Haley's hospital room. There were happy smiles and squeals as they saw the baby swaddled up in a pink blanket in the new mother's arms.

"Everybody, I would like you to meet Addison Brooke Scott," Haley announced. Everyone then took turns in holding the baby. Even Jamie and Maddie were able to take a turn in holding the baby. The family didn't know who was more thrilled: Jamie or Maddie.

However, the nurses were strict with how many visitors could see the patient at one time. So Nathan, Jamie and Quinn stayed while the others returned to the waiting room. Brooke was quiet as the others continued to chat over the exciting news.

"You three can go next," Karen told Lucas and Brooke. "I'm sure you want to meet your godchild."

Brooke then remembered that Rachel was back at the store, hiding from Owen. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed as she opened her purse and pulled out her cell-phone. She speed dialed Rachel's number and put it to her ear, waiting impatiently to hear her friend's voice. But the phone went straight to voicemail. She immediately knew that something was wrong.

"I'll drive you there," Lucas offered, who was also now worried about Rachel. His mother looked concerned, but he promised that he would explain everything later. They quickly said good-bye to the family before they headed out of the room and to the parking lot.

Brooke didn't say a word to Lucas, telling him that she was still angry at him. He wanted to apologize, but words would only get him so far. He had learned that from the last time when he had believed that she had betrayed him and told Peyton his secret.

However, she spoke up first. "Is it mean that I'm jealous of Haley and Rachel right now?"

Lucas knew that she was referring to her miscarriage. "No, I don't think that at all. I felt the same way after Peyton left me. I hated that there were so many other happy couples who were raising their children together and I was a single dad. I felt that I was the only one and no one could relate to me."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "I hate Haley and Rachel. But at the same time, I'm happy for them." She then let out a heavy sigh. "I just feel bad that Rachel is dealing with all of this drama with Owen. I still can't believe that you talked to Rachel about guardianship of her baby without me."

"I had no idea that she was going to ask me about it," Lucas insisted. "It just came up when we were discussing what she would do if Owen wasn't going to quit drinking."

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "I should have known that she wouldn't have been able to handle all of this, especially since both her marriage and the baby happened so quickly. I'm surprised she has made it this far. If I was Rachel, I would have left Owen when I first found out that he was drinking again."

Lucas gave her a look. "You know that it would be harder than it looks. Rachel loves Owen and she wanted to make the marriage work. That's why it took her awhile for her to leave him. Yes, she was pregnant, but that only made her fight harder to keep the marriage together."

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "So you're saying that I didn't fight for my marriage hard enough?" she demanded as Lucas realized that he had made a bad example. "You're saying that I wanted to be a single mom?" Lucas tried to apologize, but Brooke didn't want to hear it. "Just drop me off at the store." There was silence until they reached their destination.

Brooke hurried into the store and was relieved to find Rachel busily attending to customers. She only noticed her when she was done with her latest customer. "Hey, did Haley have her baby?" she asked as Brooke just gave her an exasperated look. "What?" she asked confused as Brooke joined her behind the counter.

"Why don't you have your phone on? I tried to call you," Brooke told her.

"Because Owen kept calling me," Rachel replied. "And that was the only way for him to stop."

Brooke frowned as she checked outside. Owen's car was nowhere in sight. "I thought you called the police on him."

"I did, but Owen left before they got here," Rachel replied. "I'm not sure if he followed you to the hospital, but I doubt it. I think he figured out that I'm hiding in here. I just wish Victoria would hurry up and get the restraining order in place so I don't have to worry about him."

Millie then came over and interrupted their conversation. "Hey, I heard that Haley went into labor this morning. Did she have her baby yet?" she asked curiously.

Brooke gave her friends a wide smile. "Yeah, she had a little girl named Addison Brooke Scott. I haven't had a chance to see her though. I wanted to check on Rachel to make sure she was alright. I didn't like the idea that Owen was right across the street."

"If he gets anywhere near Rachel, he will be arrested," Victoria said proudly as she walked into the store. Rachel let out a relieved sigh. "But you know that this battle isn't over yet. I'm afraid that we might be going up against Dan Scott again."

Brooke couldn't believe her ears. "I can't believe that he wasn't disbarred for the tricks he pulled during the first custody trial."

"Dan wasn't, but Judge Turner was," Victoria told her. Brooke was surprised to hear that. "At first, I thought Dan paid him off. But I looked into Judge Turner's past cases and he always put the children with their mothers, even if it shows that they would be better off with their fathers."

"So even if Lucas wouldn't have had his outburst in court, the judge still would have awarded full custody to Peyton?" Millie asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "That is so unfair. Glad that Peyton changed her mind before it was too late."

"I don't think it will be that easy with Owen," Rachel replied. "But I'm glad that I have people on my side to help me through this." She then let out a moan as she touched her stomach. Her friends rushed to her aide, but she gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

"Still, I think we should get you checked out," Brooke said. "All this stress might be causing you to go into early labor."

"Brooke's right. We're going to take you to the hospital," Victoria said firmly.

They were preparing to leave when they heard the door open. Millie was about to attend to the person when they saw who it was and froze. Brooke wanted to speak, but she was quickly silenced by the gun pointed at her. "Don't say a word," Owen ordered as he turned the sign from 'open' to 'closed'. He then closed the blinds so no one could look into the store. "Who else is here?" he demanded.

"It's just us four," Millie replied, finding her voice. "Our last customer just left right before you came in."

"Good. Now give me all of your cell-phones," Owen ordered. There was silence as the four women quickly pulled out their phones and put them on the counter. "Now back away from the counter."

They moved away from the counter and Owen gestured them to move into Brooke's office. There was silence as they followed his orders and sat down on the floor. Rachel then tried to calm her husband down, still holding her stomach. "Look, I understand you're mad at me, but you don't have to drag my friends into this. You have who you want. Just let the rest of them go."

Owen raised his eyebrows. "You really think that they are innocent? Victoria is your fucking lawyer. And your best friend's boyfriend was the one who planted the idea of you divorcing me and taking my child away from me in the first place. So they are staying with you. And I can't let your other friend go because she will call the police."

"The police will be called anyway," Victoria assured him. "Don't you think people will get suspicious when they see that the store has suddenly closed for the day?"

Owen glared at her as he pointed his gun at her. "Would you shut up? You think you are so smart just because you're a lawyer. You really need to butt out and let people work out their marital problems by themselves."

Victoria raised her eyebrows this time. "Do you really that this is the best way to work out your problems?" Victoria asked. "Holding four women hostage because you're pissed off at us for brainwashing your wife so she could divorce you and take the baby somewhere safe?"

Owen cocked the gun and aimed it at her. "I don't want to hear one more word out of you."

"You know she's right," Brooke said. "You're only making this worse by holding us hostage."

Owen tried not to laugh. "And here, I thought you were the one person who was with me. After all, your husband screwed you over with your boyfriend's ex-wife. But I should have known that your loyalties lie with your best friend. So nobody is going anywhere."

Rachel slowly got up from the floor. "Well, you're going to have to change your plan." Owen didn't have a chance to respond as she pointed to the water beneath her feet. "Because my water just broke."

"Are you going to let us go now?" Brooke asked Owen hopefully. This was the perfect excuse for him to let them go.

Owen thought for a moment as he looked over his wife. He could tell that she was in real pain. He then shook his head. "No, I'm only going to let Rachel and Millie go. After all, she can't drive to the hospital herself. Mother and daughter will stay."

"I'm not leaving without my friends," Rachel protested as a contraction came along.

"You don't have a choice unless you want to have the baby right here," Owen said as he pulled Millie up from the floor. "And I really don't want our baby to end up as a hostage. So get moving before I change my mind."

Rachel still wasn't willing to move, but Brooke gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. Go and take care of my godchild," she said. Rachel nodded as they embraced each other in a hug. The same happened to Brooke and Millie before Owen pulled them away. She watched with a heavy heart as he forced Millie and Rachel out of the room.

Owen then turned to Brooke and Victoria. He had an evil grin on his face as he spoke again. "Let's take a little ride, shall we?"


	41. All You Need Is Love

**A/N**: I know I said this before, but it's true this time. There aren't many chapters left in this story. And Leeese, I hope you feel better soon.

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty One<strong>

** All You Need Is Love**

Lucas looked down at his sleeping niece before turning to his best friend. "She's beautiful, Hales," he told her. "She looks just like you." Haley smiled proudly as he returned the baby to her mother."I'm going to go and see if I can find Brooke. I'm sure she would want to meet her niece. I'll be back as soon as I can."

As he returned to the waiting room, he saw that his family was all staring at the television with concerned looks on their faces. He turned to the television and saw a news reporter in front of Brooke's store. Lucas barely listened to the news story before he hurried out of the room. Keith and his brother were right behind him. They knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Lucas, you know that the police won't allow you to go into the store," Keith replied. "What are you going to do once you get in there? You'll put Brooke and Victoria at even more risk than they already are."

Lucas did know that, but he didn't care. "I can't just stand here and wait around while my girlfriend and Victoria are in danger," he replied. "I have to do something."

"Then be there for your friend Rachel," a familiar voice said. The Scott family turned to see Anna. Lucas had forgotten that she was working at the hospital. "Her stress level has caused her to go into early labor and she now has eclampsia." Lucas felt sorry for her. "And she's not doing too well."

Lucas was about to protest when his family gave him pleading looks. He let out a heavy sigh before he finally agreed. Keith promised that he would get him if they heard any news. He then followed Anna up to Rachel's delivery room. He tried to give her a brave smile as he went over to her. "Hey, are you hanging in there?"

"Why did I ever agree to this?" Rachel moaned as she felt a contraction. Lucas allowed her to squeeze his hand until it was over. Dr. Copeland came in and checked her to see how much she progressed, which had rapidly gone to ten. She couldn't believe that it was time to push already. "I don't know if I have the strength to do this."

Lucas could see that she was pale. He knew something was wrong. His fears were confirmed as Rachel started shaking hard. The monitors started beeping and Lucas was pulled out of the way as Dr. Copeland examined her. He ordered a nurse to get him out of the room.

Lucas didn't want to leave Rachel, but he had no choice. He stayed out in the hall as he watched the news, which was still talking about the hostage situation. He couldn't believe that this was happening. His girlfriend and adoptive son were both in danger and he couldn't do anything to help either of them. This day started out so great with the birth of his niece. How did it become this nightmare? He was just grateful that Maddie was safe at the sitter's. He didn't know if he could handle it if something happened to her too.

He turned away from the television and started walking down the hall, not wanting to hear anymore. The news kept repeating the same thing over and over. Owen was still holding Brooke and Victoria hostage and wouldn't let them go until his demands were met. And that was full custody of his unborn son. Lucas hoped that nobody would agree with that. Owen didn't deserve to see his son until he gets his act together. How could he make him see that though?

Lucas snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his cell-phone ringing. He recognized the ringtone as Brooke's. He put the cell-phone up to his ear. "Brooke, are you okay?" he asked anxiously. He knew that it was hospital policy not to have cell-phones on, but he didn't care. He was dying to find out about his girlfriend.

To his annoyance, the voice on the other end wasn't Brooke's. _"She will be as long as you two don't fight for custody of my son,_" Owen warned him. _"You know, I thought Brooke should be on my side, but it's really should have been you. After all, you're a dad and you had a wife who wanted to take your child away from you."_

Lucas tried to stay calm as he answered him. "You're right. I am a dad," he pointed out. "And as a dad, I love my daughter and wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her. So if I was doing something that could harm her or someone else, I would send Maddie to someone who would take care of her while I get help for my problems."

_"So you're saying that your guardianship of my kid would only be temporary?"_ Owen asked.

Lucas was about to answer when he saw Dr. Copeland with a grim expression on his face. Knowing that the news was going to be bad, he hung up on Owen and walked over to the doctor. "How are Rachel and the baby?"

Dr. Copeland was quiet for a moment. Lucas knew it was bad news and hoped that he managed to save the baby. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "We had to do an emergency C-section on Mrs. Morello and we were able to pull the baby out safely. Despite being delivered early, he is doing well." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "However, I'm afraid I can't say the same for Mrs. Morello. During the surgery, there were a few complications. We did our best, but I'm afraid that there isn't too much we can do for her except make her comfortable. I'm so sorry."

Lucas was at loss for words. He couldn't believe Rachel was dying. Even though he didn't know Rachel long, she had become a good friend. And Maddie adored her and made her feel like part of the family by calling her 'Aunt Rachel'. But the person who wouldn't take her death well was Brooke. He didn't know how he would tell her that her best friend was dying.

He had his chance as he heard his cell-phone ringing. It wasn't a surprise when he heard that it was Brooke's ringtone. He picked it up as he heard Brooke's voice. In a way, he was relieved that she was okay. But it only meant that he would have to tell her the news sooner rather than later. He didn't get a chance to respond as she told him that she was on her way to the hospital.

He was curious to know how Owen just allowed them to leave, but there would be plenty of time to explain later. As Lucas hung up the phone, Dr. Copeland approached him again. However, Lucas stopped him before he had a chance to speak. "Could we continue this conversation after Brooke is here?" Dr. Copeland nodded understandingly. Lucas then went to find his family, who were now visiting Haley.

As Lucas waited for Brooke to arrive, he saw another familiar person who was coming through the hospital entrance. However, this person wasn't welcomed here. He didn't deserve to be here just as much as Owen didn't deserve to know his son. Lucas got up from his seat and walked over to Dan. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I wanted to see my newest granddaughter," Dan replied. "I have a right to see her."

"How did you even know that Haley was in labor?" Lucas asked. "Because I know nobody in the family would want to contact you after what you did during the court case. How could you do that to your own son? You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"I was only doing my job," Dan replied. "You were the one who couldn't keep your cool. You should learn to control your temper, especially since you have another custody trial coming up soon."

Lucas was ready to strike when he saw Brooke. Forgetting all about Dan, he ran over to her. They embraced each other in a tight hug. Seeing her and touching her made him lifted his spirits. "Thank God you're alright," he said as he pulled out of the hug. "That bastard didn't hurt you or anything?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, he was about to take us somewhere when the police showed up. How are Rachel and the baby? And where's Millie?" Lucas frowned. "Millie was the one who drove Rachel to the hospital."

"I haven't seen her, but I was able to see Rachel before they rushed her to surgery," Lucas told her. Brooke waited for more, but he was quiet. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "The baby is just fine, but Rachel isn't doing too well."

"How bad is it, Luke?" Brooke asked.

Lucas hesitated before he spoke. "The doctors did everything they could, but they couldn't save her." Brooke knew what that meant. However, she still felt like she had to hear the words out loud in order to know that they were true. "Rachel's dying." Brooke had heard enough and asked to be taken to Rachel's room. Lucas led the way, hoping that the women could still have their chance to say their final good-byes.

Once they arrived to the room, Dr. Copeland was there, talking to Rachel. They stopped for a moment as the couple walked into the room. Brooke went over to her friend and Rachel gave her a wide smile. "Did you hear? I have a son." Brooke smiled in return. She was surprised to see that she was in such good spirits after hearing such sad news. "I've already made all the arrangements. All you need to do is sign the papers and Wyatt Joseph Scott is all yours. I know you, Lucas and Maddie will take good care of him."

"What about Owen?" Lucas asked her as Dr. Copeland left them alone. "Won't he try and get custody of Wyatt? That was the whole reason why he held you, Brooke and Victoria hostage."

"No, he won't," Brooke said, speaking up. Lucas and Rachel turned to her curious. "After you hung up on him, I was able to get him to admit that he was only trying to get the baby because Rachel was leaving him. So it wasn't hard to convince him that he would be better off without the baby."

Rachel wasn't falling for it. Neither did Lucas. However, he didn't get a chance to ask as Brooke asked him to see if he could find Millie. Rachel waited until he left the room before she spoke again. "So he gave up his parental rights just like that?" she asked. Brooke didn't answer at first. "Brooke Penelope Davis, what did you do?"

Brooke gave her a comforting smile. "It doesn't matter because he is out of our lives forever. He won't be bothering us anymore." She held her tears in as she spoke her next words. "I just wish you are going to be around to see your son grow up."

"I know. Me too," Rachel agreed. "But it's probably for the best. I wouldn't have made the greatest mom anyway. I would probably have been too busy trying to provide for Wyatt to spend any time with him. And I wouldn't have been able to have a life or relationships. Look at you and Lucas. It took him nearly five years to start another steady relationship. And now you two are well on your way down the aisle."

Brooke gave her a look. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? Lucas and I are a long way off from a wedding."

Rachel just laughed. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Lucas loves you like crazy. He just isn't sure that you're ready to take that next step. But I think you are. You just need to admit it before it's too late."

Brooke didn't answer as Lucas came back into the room. To Brooke's relief, Millie was with him. She gave her friends a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry I disappeared. I wasn't feeling well and went to get checked out. And I'm fine. I just had a scare. I then went to see Haley and her new baby."

Brooke groaned. "I completely forgot about Haley. I should go and see her." She then turned to Rachel. "I'll be right back," she promised as she embraced her in a gentle hug. She checked up on Haley, who was relieved that she was alright. After they had their happy reunion, Brooke finally had a chance to hold her goddaughter. Once she did, she didn't want to let go of that little girl.

"You know, I always wanted a little girl," Brooke told Haley as she gently rocked Addison back and forth. She smiled to herself as she remembered the dreams she had for her lost baby. "It would have been so much fun to dress her up in cute outfits and play tea party with her. And go shopping with her. And listen to her as she talks about her first crush or friendship drama. And teach her how to wear make-up without looking like a clown." Haley couldn't help but laugh at that. "In a way, I got my wish in Maddie."

Haley could tell that something was bothering Brooke. "Brooke, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I don't know how much you've heard about today, but Rachel had her baby, a little boy." Haley smiled at the good news. "She named him Wyatt. According to Lucas, he is doing fine. But his mom isn't," Brooke told her. Haley felt sorry for her friend. "And that means that Lucas and I will be raising a baby together. I know we were planning to do that in the first place, but this is different."

Haley nodded understandingly. "It's one thing to dream about it. It's another when it actually happens. You think now that the baby is here, you feel like you will fail at raising two kids. But you won't because you're already a good mom. And you will have Lucas to help you."

Brooke sighed. "That's what everyone keeps saying."

"Then believe it because it's true," Haley assured her. Brooke was quiet as she handed her goddaughter back to her mother. She stayed a little while longer as Quinn came in with a camera and wanted to take pictures of the family.

After a few minutes, Brooke was finally allowed to leave and went to find her boyfriend. She wasn't surprised to find him in the NICU, standing over Wyatt's incubator. She put a gown on before joining him. "How is he doing?" she asked as she looked through the glass at the baby.

"Since he was only a month early, he doesn't have as many problems as some of the other babies in here," Lucas replied. There was a short pause before he spoke. "It's been a crazy day, huh? I'll be glad when it's over."

"I don't know if I want it to be over," Brooke quietly replied. Lucas embraced her in a tight hug and held her until she was ready to pull away. "I know Rachel wanted us to take care of the baby if something happened to her, but are we really ready to do this? Can we raise two children while we're in a relationship like this?"

Lucas gave her a comforting smile. "I know you're thinking that this is moving all too fast for you. It feels that way for me too, but I know we can do this. We just need to take one day at a time." Brooke nodded in agreement as she looked down at Wyatt again. It wasn't going to be easy, but they were going to make it work.


	42. This Is My House, This Is My Home

**A/N**: Final chapter before the epilogue. Thanks for everyone reviewing. Thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty Two<strong>

**This Is My House, This Is My Home**

Brooke tried to hold her tears in as she shook Rachel's ashes out of her urn. The ashes blew onto the beach and into the ocean. Lucas embraced her in a tight hug, trying to comfort her. Maddie also tried to help by holding her hand. Brooke was glad that they were there with her to say good-bye to her best friend.

Rachel had died peacefully with Brooke, Lucas and Maddie by her side. After her death, Brooke had decided not to have a funeral for her. Instead, she had her cremated and her ashes were spread over her house in the Hamptons. It had been her favorite place to go since it was near the beach. Well, it was really Brooke's beach house now. Rachel had left everything to either Brooke or baby Wyatt. Owen was left out of the will since he had returned to his drinking habits.

After a few minutes, Lucas and Maddie left Brooke alone. Brooke stood on the back deck as she remembered all the fun times that she had with Rachel there. Rachel had always thrown the best parties. Sure, Brooke was a good hostess. But Rachel had been the true party planner. It was hard to believe that they wouldn't be able to be there for each other anymore.

Brooke needed her especially now. Even though she promised Rachel that she would take care of Wyatt, she still was worried that she would mess up his life. And she wanted to make Rachel proud. Of course, she believed that her best friend had always been proud of her. After all, she had been able to handle her parents and their constant demands of her. And when she finally got tired of taking their orders, she eloped with Julian and moved away from her parents. She made her marriage work while attending college. Even though her marriage didn't work out, she was able to get a fresh start in another town, where she didn't know anyone.

Brooke paused for a moment as she thought of the year long separation trial. It was ending soon and she had no doubt that she still wanted to go through with the divorce. The separation from Julian made her realize that it was time for her to move on with Lucas. There was a part of her that would always love Julian. After all, he had been her first love. But she loved Lucas more. She just hoped that he was on the same page. There had been rumors that Julian and Peyton had broken off their engagement because he was still in love with Brooke.

After Brooke, Lucas and Maddie were done at the beach house, they went back to their hotel. It was better for Brooke since she felt it would be too hard to stay in the beach house. She had no idea whether she should keep it or not. Lucas thought that it would be nice to have a vacation house to go to in the summer, but he also understood if she wanted to sell it.

As for Rachel's house, Brooke knew she wasn't going to keep that house. She and Lucas were happy in the house they were living in now, especially since they loved the neighborhood. There were still a lot of Rachel's things to go through and Brooke wanted to start sorting everything after the holidays were over. However, there was one of Rachel's prized possessions that she didn't even have to think about whether she wanted to sell or keep: Juliet.

After a short discussion with Lucas, he agreed to keep Juliet. She had become part of the Scott family almost instantly. She and Lola got along well and Maddie loved having two dogs to play with. Yet, they had to be taught not to bark too much.

Once the short weekend was over, Lucas drove them back to Tree Hill so they could continue to get ready for the Christmas holidays, not to mention get ready to bring Wyatt home. Baby Wyatt was still in the hospital, but he was making progress. Dr. Copeland believed that he would be able to come home just in time for Christmas. Everyone was thrilled to hear that since they were ready to welcome the little guy into the Scott family.

However, Lucas and Brooke wanted to check with Victoria to make sure that they were still allowed to take him home. She happily confirmed that they would be able to take him home since they were his guardians. They just couldn't adopt him yet since they weren't married. And the marriage couldn't happen until after Brooke's divorce. It was time to talk to Julian.

"I heard about Rachel. I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?" Julian asked Brooke once they had sat down at their table and ordered their food. They had decided to meet up at a restaurant in Charlotte since that was where they were going to have to deal with the divorce proceedings.

"I'm doing okay," Brooke replied. "It's hard at times, especially when I think of Wyatt. He is supposed to come home soon." Julian just nodded his head. "Rachel made me and Lucas his guardians. So we will get to take care of him, but we want more than that."

Julian interrupted her. "Brooke, there's something we need to discuss." He took a deep breath. "I don't want a divorce." Brooke couldn't believe her ears. "I know I cheated on you with Peyton. And I wasn't there for you when you had the miscarriage. And I can't tell you how truly sorry I am. I never meant for the affair to go on for as long as it did."

Brooke raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Because every time I saw you with Peyton, you two looked really happy. And you practically rubbed your engagement in my face, not to mention Lucas's. So was it all an act to make me jealous or something? Because I was happy with our marriage before your affair got out."

"I was too," Julian replied. Brooke wasn't sure if she believed that, but she was willing to listen to hear what else he had to say. "At least, I thought I was. After all, I had you. But I guess I didn't think that was enough."

Brooke frowned. "What more were you looking for? I gave you everything you wanted except for maybe children, but we both agreed that we were going to wait until after college."

Julian shook his head. "It has nothing to do with children." There was a short pause before he spoke. "Brooke, why did we elope? Why did we move away from everything we knew to live in Charlotte?" he asked her. Brooke was completely lost. What exactly was he trying to say here? "I know you want the reason to be is that we were in love. But let's face it. We didn't know what love was. After all, we were only eighteen and just out of high school." Brooke was about to respond when Julian didn't let her interrupt. "I know I'm talking in circles, but that is just how confused I am about this whole situation."

There was an awkward silence between them before Brooke spoke. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we did marry too young and we weren't ready for that long commitment."

Julian didn't let her say anything more. "That doesn't mean we're not ready for it now. This year made me realize that I don't want to lose you. That's why I broke off my engagement with Peyton. I don't want her. I want you."

Brooke was afraid that this was going to happen. "The problem is that it's too late for us." Julian was about to interrupt her, but she didn't let him. "It's my turn to speak." Julian had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what she was going to say, but he was still willing to listen. "When I found out that you cheated on me with Peyton, my heart broke in two. I couldn't believe that you betrayed me like that. I didn't think I could ever forgive you, especially with the way you treated me afterwards. I never thought that I would fall in love again." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "But I have with Lucas. I love Lucas. And it may sound crazy, but I can see having a future with him and Maddie and baby Wyatt."

Julian looked at her hard. "You're really happy with him, aren't you?" Brooke nodded. Julian let out a deep sigh. He knew that there was no way Brooke would change her mind about him or their relationship. "If you're happy with him, then I'll be happy for you. But if he does hurt you, please tell me so I can beat his ass. And this time, I will win." Brooke just smiled in amusement. She was glad that he wasn't going to fight her on this. They were going to divorce and move on with their lives.

Dr. Copeland was right. Wyatt was able to come home right before Christmas. It was quite an adjustment for all of them since they weren't used to having a baby in the house. But they were able to work out a new schedule. Lucas would be the one who took time off from the café while Brooke continued to look over her store. They alternated night feedings and diaper changing.

At first, Maddie did get a little jealous at all the attention he was getting. However, she saw how much Jamie loved his new baby sister. So she thought she could love her brother the same way. She helped by keeping her new brother entertained until Lucas or Brooke could attend to the baby. Or getting him his binky or blanket when her parents asked her to receive it.

On Christmas Eve, everyone was invited over to Keith's and Karen's house including Mouth and his family, who were more than happy to accept the invitation. Jake and Jenny were also invited, but Jake and Jenny had other plans with Jake's parents.

Victoria couldn't wait to get her hands on her new grandson. Nobody cared if Lucas and Brooke couldn't adopt him yet. To the Scotts, Wyatt was now one of them. And nothing was going to change that.

"By the way, I refuse to be called 'Grandma' or any of those traditional names," Victoria warned her daughter as she held Wyatt. "So we're just going to have to come up with a nickname. I'm thinking about CiCi. That way, Wyatt won't have any trouble trying to say it." She turned to Wyatt. "What do you think, little man? Do you like CiCi?"

"I do," Maddie piped up. She had been quietly listening and was waiting for the right time to join in the conversation. "But how come you don't want to be called "Grandma"?"

"Because it makes me feel old," Victoria replied. "And I'm not old." Maddie was satisfied with that answer and went off to play with Bridget again. She turned to Brooke. "To tell you the truth, I didn't think you were ready to take care of Wyatt. But I can see that you really have grown up this past year."

Brooke had to agree with her there. "Well, I think I had to because I was going to be a single mom." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "It was really hard when I had my miscarriage. I felt that it was a sign that my marriage with Julian was truly over. I didn't know if I had the strength to go on."

Victoria gave her a smile. "You must have found a way to do it because you're here with your new family and friends." Wyatt started fussing and Victoria tried to calm him down. The tears continued to fall until he was put back into his mother's arms. Victoria gave her daughter a smile. "He certainly knows who his mother is."

Brooke smiled in return as Lucas came over to them. "The natives are getting restless. I think it's time for the kids to open some gifts." They agreed as they followed him into the living room. The kids were already by the Christmas tree while the other adults found places on the sofa or armchairs. Brooke and Wyatt joined Haley and Addison on the sofa while Lucas joined the kids on the floor.

As the kids were opening their gifts, Keith gestured to Lucas and Haley to follow him and Karen into the kitchen. Lucas and Haley exchanged confused looks, but they obeyed their orders. "Is something wrong?" Lucas asked after Haley had joined them.

Karen gave him a comforting smile. "No, we're fine. It's just that Keith and I have decided that it's time to pass on the café to the next generation." Lucas couldn't believe his ears. Keith wrapped his arms around his wife as she spoke again. "That way, we can go traveling for awhile."

"So you're giving the café to me and Haley?" Lucas asked, wanting to make sure he heard his mother correctly.

Keith nodded. "Yes, we know you two make a great team. So you might as well partner up and manage the café."

Lucas turned to Haley. "If you don't want to do it with me, I'll understand. After all, you just had Addison and you still have your music students."

Haley made a face. "Actually, I decided to end that business." Lucas gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't be sorry. My heart wasn't in it as much as it is with the café. But if Maddie ever wants to take singing or piano lessons, I'll be happy to teach her."

"So does this mean you'll be my business partner?" Lucas asked hopefully. "You know I wouldn't be able to do this without my best friend."

Haley nodded in agreement. They embraced in hugs as Brooke came into the room. Her arms were now free. She gave them a wide smile. "Hey, you're missing all of the fun," she said. "The kids are dying to show off their presents."

Keith, Karen and Haley left the room while Brooke stayed with Lucas. She could tell that he was deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" she asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

Lucas just gave her a smile. "I'm thinking about how much my world has changed since Maddie and I met you." Brooke returned the smile. "I know I shouldn't be doing this now, but I don't think I can wait any longer." He bent down on one knee and pulled out a small box. "You made me believe in love again. You made our family complete. Now let's make it official. Brooke Penelope Davis, would you marry me?" he asked as he opened the box.

Brooke gasped in surprise as she saw the beautiful diamond ring before her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded. Lucas slipped the ring on her finger before they shared a passionate kiss. Brooke pulled away for a moment. "Let's not tell everyone yet. We'll have plenty of time to celebrate after my divorce is final."

Lucas groaned, but he finally agreed to keep it a secret for now. Eventually, Haley would have to be told. They then returned to the living room and watched the happy scene of the children enjoying their gifts. Lucas then was handed his son and started playing with him.

Brooke couldn't help but think how far she had come from when she had first moved to the town. Even though she still had to go through with her divorce, she now had support from her mother and friends to get her through the tough times. And she had a new fiancé with soon to be adopted children once she and Lucas could marry. At first, she didn't know if she could accept the small town as her home. But as now as she was surrounded by everyone that she loved and cared about, she didn't think there was any place better to call home.


	43. Epilogue

**A/N: **This is the final chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. Thank you all for the reviews and thanks to my beta: Leeese.

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><p><em>A year and a half later…<em>

Lucas was fiddling with his tie as he heard Nathan mumbling to himself. He couldn't help but laugh and Nathan gave him a look in response. "Can I help it if I don't want to mess up on my best man speech? Of course, I don't think it will be as good as Haley's speech. After all, she is more of a writer than I am. I'm surprised you're not nervous."

"I've done this before," Lucas reminded him. "In fact, I have done it twice. So this wedding will be a snap."

"Are you really counting your marriage at the courthouse?" Nathan asked. "All you and Brooke did was stand up in front of a judge and say 'I do'. You might as well have gotten married in Vegas, but I suppose it was for a good reason. You wanted to make sure that Wyatt was finally yours for good."

Lucas nodded as he looked across the room where Jamie was entertaining Wyatt until the ceremony. Even though Wyatt had been living with them since he was born, it still felt great to know that he was officially Wyatt Joseph Scott.

There was a knock at the door before Keith poked his head into the room. "Hey, are you ready to get married again?"

"I have never seen him calmer," Nathan said as he picked up Wyatt and led Jamie out into the hall. "We'll see you out there."

There was silence as Keith went over to Lucas and helped him with his tie. "So you're not nervous at all?"

Lucas shook his head. "Nope because I know she is the one. I know I said that before, but I mean it this time. Brooke and I are meant to be together."

Keith gave him a wide smile. "I have no doubt about it. I'm just sorry that her father doesn't feel the same way."

When Richard Davis had heard that Brooke was planning to marry Lucas, he was furious. He begged Brooke to reconsider, but she refused. He had even tried to pay Lucas to stay away from her, but there was no amount of money that would make him break off his relationship with Brooke.

"As long as he doesn't stand up and object during the ceremony, I'll be happy," Lucas replied as he followed Keith out of the room and into the parsonage. He went and stood by the pastor as he waited for his bride to walk down the aisle.

Lucas looked out at the small group of guests who were smiling back at him. Neither Lucas nor Brooke wanted a big wedding. So they had only invited their closest friends and family, who were now spread throughout the pews. His mother and Keith were sitting in the front row. Lily was sitting right behind her, holding Addison and Edward since both parents were participants in the wedding.

Lucas had even invited his paternal grandparents, who he had forgiven for falling into Peyton's web of lies. However, the person he hadn't forgiven was Dan. He still wasn't welcomed in their lives after what he had done to try and get Maddie away from their family.

Nathan, Jake and Mouth took their places next to Lucas as the music started to play. It was "This I Swear" by Nick Lachey. Quinn, the wedding photographer, got into position to take pictures of the wedding party coming down the aisle. The band of children walked out of the double doors first. Jamie and Bridget, who were the ring bearer and flower girl, appeared. Bridget tossed petals on the aisle as she walked down the aisle.

Then it was the junior bridesmaids' turn. As Maddie and Jenny walked down the aisle, Lucas couldn't help but think how grown up Maddie looked in her beautiful dress. Even though she was almost seven, she had changed so much since both Brooke and Wyatt had come into their lives.

Lindsey and Millie were next before Haley, the matron of honor, walked down the aisle. Then Wyatt toddled down the aisle towards Lucas, not even worrying about the crowd of people looking at him. Brooke hadn't been surprised to find that he enjoyed being the center of attention. He was like Rachel in that way. And the family made sure that he knew that he had two mommies who loved him very much.

Wyatt ran into Lucas's arms. He embraced him in a hug before he handed him over to Nathan. The guests then stood up as the bride and her mother appeared. Since Richard had refused to be part of the wedding, Victoria decided to take charge and walk her daughter down the aisle. Lucas couldn't believe how beautiful Brooke looked in her wedding dress. She had made it herself.

It was strapless and fit her snugly until just above her knees. There, it flared out slightly until it reached the floor. The layers of white tulle were gathered in at the sides to create small ruffles from the knees to the floor. It was held at the waist by a cream silk belt which had diamonds in the center.

"You are the most beautiful bride ever," Lucas whispered to her as she arrived next to her soon-to-be husband.

Brooke smiled at the compliment as the pastor spoke. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to see this man and woman joined together in holy matrimony. Who gives this woman to this man?"

Victoria didn't even hesitate before she proudly gave her answer. "I do." She then sat down in her seat in the front pew on the bride's side.

"Today Lucas and Brooke claim their love in these words. Lucas, you may go first."

Lucas cleared his throat before he spoke. "Two years ago today, we went out on our very first date. I may not have shown it, but I was a nervous wreck." Laughter and small chuckles came from their guests at his words. "I knew I was taking a risk in falling in love again. But I then realized I fell in love with you even before that night. I loved your smile. I loved your kindness and generosity for others. I loved the way you took care of Maddie like she was your own daughter before we even started our relationship. So there was no doubt in my mind that we would come through every obstacle to make it here. I love you, Brooke Davis. And I always will."

Brooke then said her vows. "Lucas, you've helped me in ways you couldn't even have imagined. You taught me to trust again. You taught me how to let someone in again. And you taught me how it is to truly fall in love and meet your soul mate. I have always said 'people who are meant to be together always find their way in the end'. I never believed it was really true until now. I love you, Lucas Scott. And I always will."

"Lucas and Brooke, you came here today to exchange these vows. Do you, Lucas, take Brooke to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

Lucas nodded. "I do."

"Do you, Brooke, take Lucas to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Brooke replied.

They then exchanged rings before the pastor gave the announcement. "By the power invested in me by the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." Everyone applauded and cheered as the husband and wife shared a passionate kiss.

After they shared their kiss, Lucas took Wyatt from Nathan's arms and carried him as Maddie led the newlyweds down the aisle. Everyone then headed to Tric, where the reception would take place. It seemed like forever before the D.J. made the announcement that the groom and bride had arrived.

Lucas and Brooke went out onto the dance floor for their first dance. The music started playing "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion. Holding each other close, they forgot that they even had an audience. All they could think of was how much in love with each other they were.

After several minutes, everyone was able to settle down for dinner. Nathan then stood up to do his speech. "I'm not good at speeches, but I'm going to try my best. As you all know, Lucas is my older brother. He's one of my best friends. And as his best friend, I wanted to see him happy. He deserved to be happy. He deserved to have someone that made him smile and laugh, someone who supported and loved not only him, but my wonderful niece as well." Maddie smiled when she heard him mention her. "And he found all that in Brooke. And let me tell you something. I have never seen my brother happier than he is right now with his new bride." Lucas and Brooke exchanged smiles before they turned back to Nathan. "Thank you for making my brother happy."

Haley then stood up and did her speech. "I have known Lucas for almost all of my life. We hung out together so much that people started to think that we were going to be more than just best friends. I thought they were crazy because I only loved him as a brother. There was another Scott brother I was falling in love with. Lucas was okay with that because he knew that there was someone else out there for him.

"I have to admit that I was one who believed that these two should have been together from the start. I thought Lucas and Brooke were perfect for each other. In fact, I even tried to play matchmaker and tried to convince Lucas to ask Brooke out. He didn't seem to show that he was attracted to her until her birthday.

Even though they were just friends, he wanted to get her something special. And he got her some beautiful earrings that were her birthstone. That's when I knew that he had fallen in love again. It just was a matter of time before they were dating. Two long months later, it finally happened. Now here we are, two years later, celebrating their wedding. Congratulations, Lucas and Brooke. We wish you all the best and I love you both."

Everyone clapped as Haley sat back down in her seat. There were a few more speeches before it was time for the Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dance. Karen allowed Lucas and Maddie to go first while Brooke took little Wyatt out to the dance floor.

"Are you happy that your mom and I finally got married?" Lucas asked Maddie as he twirled her around.

Maddie nodded. "I'm happy that I have a mom and a baby brother. We're lucky, aren't we?"

"You bet we are," Lucas agreed.

The other parents and their children soon joined them for the dance before they started switching partners. Lucas danced with his mother, Lily, Lindsey and Haley. After many dances, he ended up with his wife again.

"Did you know that everyone is now asking me when we are planning to expand our family?" Brooke asked him.

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. It has been awhile since both Wyatt and Addison were born. But I'm happy with two children right now, aren't you? There is plenty of time for us to expand our family. I just want to enjoy my time with my new wife and our children. I love you, Brooke Penelope Davis-Scott."

Brooke gave him a wide smile. "I love you too, Lucas Eugene Scott." They shared another passionate kiss before they went back to dancing. They wished their wonderful night would last forever. Yet, they knew their adventures were just beginning. They had been given a second chance at finding love and weren't going to waste it. Brooke was right. People who were meant to be together always find their way in the end.


End file.
